The stories collected here are by leading authors of the short story form in the Middle East today. In addition to works by writers already well-known in the West, such as Idwār al-Kharrāṭ, Fu'ād al-Takarlī and Nobel Prize winner Najīb Maḥfūẓ, the collection includes stories by key authors whose fame has hitherto been restricted to the Middle East. Features stories in the original Arabic, accompanied by an English translation and a brief author biography, as well as a discussion of context and background. Each story is followed by a glossary and discussion of problematic language points.