Borders and beyond

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Borders and Beyond, edited by Kerstin Eksell and Stephan Guth, emerges from a Lebanese-Scandinavian collaboration that explores liminality, hybridity, and border-crossing in Arabic literature and culture. The contributions primarily address contemporary issues, particularly post-war Lebanon and Beirut as a significant border-zone. They examine the tension between identity and alienation in exile, the duality of migrant experiences marked by loss and potential gain, and the interplay of utopia and dystopia. The volume also reflects on the blending of reality with elements of magic or surrealism in the lives of those facing precarious circumstances. Furthermore, contemporary Arabic literature has transcended borders, becoming part of a global continuum that showcases various mergings and contrasts. Notably, one contribution traces the evolution of the Andalusian legend across the Mediterranean, highlighting its transcultural migration and literary transformations over time. Another study investigates the interplay between new concepts like ‘novel’ and traditional forms such as riwaya. Overall, the volume emphasizes the processes of change within the literary landscape, focusing on transitional moments when established traditions encounter new influences, leading to genre transformations and innovative syntheses.