logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
1 h

Inside The World of Lebanese Comics with...

Ursula Lindsey and M Lynx Qualey
About this episode
Comics artist Rawand Issa joins us to talk about her book Inside the Giant Fish (trans. Amy Chiniara, Maamoul Press); her path from journalism to graphic art; artist groups and collectives across the region; the “new school of Arab comics,” and the challenges of making a living as a comics artist. We also talk about a few other Lebanese graphic novels, particularly Lamia Ziadé’s My Port of Beirut, translated to English by Emma Ramadan, and Lena Merhej’s I Think We’ll Be Calmer in the Next War.Show Notes:You can find several of Rawand’s books available from Maamoul Press: http://maamoulpress.com. Also read Rawand’s “Being Illegal is Unbearable at The Nib, her  ماذا نفعل في مواجهة استمرار العنف ضد النساء؟ at Jeem and her untitled work in Chime.And if you missed it, there’s a discussion with Rawand and translator Amy Chiniara about Inside the Giant Fish at ArabLit.Samandal magazine is on Instagram (@samandalcomics), and you can find them at samandal-comics.org.You can buy copies of the magazine Corniche at the Sharjah Art Foundation website.Lab619 (@lab619), Skefkef (@skefkefmag/), and Fanzeen Comics (@fanzeencomics/) are on Instagram, while TokTok has a website, toktokmag.com.Rawand Issa (@rawand.issa_) and Amy Chiniara (@amychiniara) are both on Instagram, too.Lamia Ziadé’s My Port of Beirut, translated to English by Emma Ramadan, from Pluto PressLena Merhej’s We Will Be Calmer in the Next War is available online.Please support BULAQ! You can donate to our fundraiser for the 2023 season at donorbox.org/support-bulaq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Up next
Jul 16
Books by Rabih Alameddine, May Ziadeh, Samar Yazbek, Lamia Ziadé and More
‏Marcia is publishing the first English translation of early 20th century woman of letters and feminist icon May Ziadhe; Ursula has been working on a review of the award-winning Lebanese novelist Rabih Alameddine. We also talk about a devastating book based on interviews with Gaz ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 11
A Story of Jordanian Literature
‏Ibtihal Reda Mahmood, editor and translator of the anthology Snow in Amman: An Anthology of Short Stories from Jordan joins us to talk both about the Jordanian literary landscape from the 1940s to now, as well as her personal relationship with Jordanian writers and books. We tal ... Show More
54m 48s
Apr 2026
Unlocking Palestine: Sara Yasin on editing The Key
‏The Key is a new online publication dedicated to covering Palestine as “the core issue at the heart of the modern world.” We’re joined by its editor-in-chief, Sara Yasin, former managing editor of the LA Times. The Key is an outgrowth of PalFest, an annual traveling literature f ... Show More
1h 15m
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
ART OF BOO : Trauma. Humor. Art. Catharsis | Sarde (after dinner) Podcast #37
‏Bernard Hage, known as « The art of Boo » is an illustrator, writer, musician and cartoonist who publishes weekly in the Lebanese French-language newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour. He’s also hilarious and as real as they come. In this Sarde, we spoke about: Therapy through art, (dark) ... Show More
1h 7m
Jan 2025
Nabila Awad | At Wissam's #13 | عند وسام
‏Lebanese journalist Nabila Awad opens up about her life journey, her experiences in the media world, and the values that shape her work. She shares her thoughts on journalism, storytelling, and how she navigates the challenges of today’s fast-paced, ever-changing landscape. Foll ... Show More
51m 35s
Aug 2016
044: We Are Bohemian
‏Today we host Sarah Taibah, book illustrator and actress. Building on our previous episode with Fatma Banawi, we talk about the book industry in the Middle East, her work on the movie “Zaina’s Cake”, Arabic TV shows, and a lot more. Show Links David Habchy Zaina’s Cake on ET Ara ... Show More
56m 56s
Sep 2023
A Conversation with Syrian Artist Nada Odeh about her Art and Activism
‏A very lively discussion between Dr. Sahar Khamis and her guest, Syrian artist Nada Odeh, about her artistic journey, talents, and skills, and how she combined both art and activism to serve humanity at large, and the Syrian crisis, especially Syrian refugees, in particular. Nad ... Show More
59m 38s