The acclaimed Emirati author uses the fleeting details of everyday existence to tell stories filled with insight into the human condition. She tells Al Majalla about her approach and how it works.

The Iraqi poet and recently appointed director of the Arab World Institute in Paris talks about stones, the overlap between diplomacy and literature, and what gives him 'the spirit of life'

Caliph Harun al-Rashid sent Emperor Charlemagne a beautifully crafted chessboard showing how shared pastimes can be a bridge between peoples

An interview in Q&A format with a Bahraini writer who has been publishing works for 50 years

The visionary painter died 50 years ago. He was just 35 and had only put his work on show once. Cairo is displaying his influential and unique pieces, which helped modernize Egyptian and Arabic art.

Al Majalla gathers the thoughts of writers and artists on the strange silence in the country's cultural discourse on climate change – with the country one of the most directly affected in the world.

A new generation of young people is finding training and work in a refreshed and revitalised cultural scene, making their presence felt while also staying true to important heritage

Stone inscriptions unearthed in the Kingdom, including one at Al-Mabiyat that is the oldest of its kind, are revolutionising our understanding of the origins of the written language

International Prize for Arabic Fiction puts the spotlight on shortlisted books as well as the winner, raising profiles and sales, as the writer of The Farthest Horizon tells Al Majalla.

Chants from folklore in the country have been twisted to political ends in its war, with groups competing to use them to fire up fighters and supporters. They offer insight into the balance of power.