Words Without Borders:

current issue

The World through the Eyes of Writers: Celebrating Fifteen Years

Image: Mona Hatoum, "Hot Spot," 2013, stainless steel, neon tube, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, 10/7/2016 –2/6/2017. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Pirje Mykkänen.

Nonfiction by Samantha Schnee

Great Explorations: WWB at Fifteen

This fifteenth anniversary issue takes a look back at the work of fifteen of these authors.

Fiction by Can Xue

The Bane of My Existence

“Can Xue doesn’t trust reason.”—Ha Jin

Translated from Chinese by Karen Gernant and Chen Zeping

Fiction by Adania Shibli

Silence

“Her narrative voice resonates with the inner geographies of the Palestinian space.”—Anton Shammas

Translated from Arabic by Randa Jarrar

Fiction by Gamal al-Ghitani

Annihilation

“The most important Arab novelist today.”—Naguib Mahfouz

Translated from Arabic by Humphrey Davies

Fiction by Akinwumi Isola

The Grammar of Easter (You Don’t Say That in English)

“Akin Isola remains one of our most versatile Nigerian writers.”—Wole Soyinka

Translated from Yoruba by Akinwumi Isola

feature

WWB at Fifteen: Poetry and Essays

Nonfiction by Goli Taraghi

The First Day

“Each element establishes a layer that gives the story added weight and heft.”—Francine Prose

Translated from Farsi by Goli Taraghi

Nonfiction by Hassan Khader

Nora in Wonderland

“Like many Arab novelists and poets, he has turned to the essay.”—Ahdaf Soueif

Translated from Arabic by Hassan Khader

Poetry by Etel Adnan

from “October 27, 2003”

“Etel Adnan’s language takes the reader on passages that thread in and out of their own feelings, their own consciousness.”—Diana Abu Jaber

Translated from French by C. Dickson

Poetry by Ambar Past

Practice for Hangmen

“Ambar Past’s poetry is born out of the beauty of Chiapas.” —Elena Poniatowska

Translated from Spanish by Munda Tostón

bilingual

Nonfiction by Juan José Saer

from The Boundless River

“Literary fanaticism, in any of its forms, whether from the point of view of master or disciple, has always been incompatible with the intelligence and free spirit of Saer.”—José Saramago

Translated from Spanish by Marina Harss