Alif is an annual bilingual (occasionally trilingual) peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of English and Comparative Literature of the American University in Cairo. Its first issue appeared in 1981, and it has been appearing continuously since.
Each issue revolves around a particular theme and all articles go through a rigorous refereeing process in any of the journal’s three languages: Arabic, English, or French. Alif’s articles have included scholarship by established and emerging academics alike. So while it has published scholarship by such star academics as Edward Said, Michael Wood, Judith Butler, to name a few, Alif equally perceives itself as a knowledge-production hub and several young scholars have received academic training, writing their first scholarly article for Alif.
Alif’s refereeing system and serious scholarship have gained its acknowledgment by a number of prestigious databases including Scopus, MLA International Bibliography, JSTOR, SAGE, Index Islamicus, EBSCO, Project MUSE, and Literature Resource Center (Gale).
Submissions from 2008
مصيدة اﻟﻔﺌﺮان: تنويعات نيجيرية وعربية على لحن هاملت / The Mouse Trap: Nigerian and Arab Variations on "Hamlet", Magda Mansour Hasabelnaby
من الحكاية الشعبية ٳلى الحكاية النسوية: شهادة / From Folktale to Feminist Tale: A Testimony, Sahar El Mougy
Submissions from 2007
Are Children Morally Inferior to Adults? / ﻫﻞ ﺍﻷﻃﻔﺎﻝ ﺃﺩﻧﻰ ﺃﺧﻼﻗﻴﺎً ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺍﺷﺪﻳﻦ؟, Matthew Whoolery
"Faint and Imperfect Stamps": The Problem with Adaptations of Shakespeare for Children / " ﻋﻼﻣﺎﺕ ﺑﺎﻫﺘﺔ ﻭﻣﻨﻘﻮﺻﺔ": ﻣﺸﻜﻠﺔ ﺍﻗﺘﺒﺎﺱ ﺃﻋﻤﺎﻝ ﺷﻜﺴﭙﻴﺮ ﻟﻸﻃﻔﺎﻝ, Stephannie S. Gearhart
Razing Child Soldiers / ﺍﻟﻄﻔﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺎﺭﺏ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻨﻴﻦ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺤﻮ, Tanya M. Monforte
Seeing Children: A Photographer's View from the Arab World / ﻣﺸﺎﻫﺪﺓ ﺍﻷﻃﻔﺎﻝ: ﺭﺅﻳﺔ ﻣﺼﻮﺭ ﻣﻦ ﺩﺍﺧﻞ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ, Thomas Hartwell
"The Child Is Father of the Man": The Rainbow of My Painting / " ﺍﻟﻄﻔﻞ ﻫﻮ ﺃﺑﻮ ﺍﻟﺮﺟﻞ": ﻗﻮﺱ ﻗﺰﺡ ﻟﻮﺣﺎﺗﻲ, Adib Fattal
Vital Attitude of the Poet: Interview with Naomi Shihab Nye / ﺍﻟﻤﻮﻗﻒ ﺍﻟﺤﻴﻮﻱ ﻟﻠﺸﻌﺮﺍﺀ: ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ ﻣﻊ ﻧﻌﻮﻣﻲ ﺷﻬﺎﺏ ﻧﺎﻱ, Sharif S. Elmusa and Naomi Shihab Nye
Wonders of Childhood: On the Margins of Formation / ﺃﻭﺍﺋﻞ ﺯﻳﺎﺭﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﺪﻫﺸﺔ: ﻫﻮﺍﻣﺶ ﺍﻟﺘﻜﻮﻳﻦ, Muhammad Afifi Matar and Ferial J. Ghazoul
أجندة محمد عفيفي مطر في ﻗﺼﺼﻪ للأطفال / Muhammad 'Afifi Matar's Agenda in his Writings for Children, Yasmine Motawy
المقاومة الجميلة: مسرح أطفال المخيم / Beautiful Resistance: Theater of the Children of the Refugee Camp, Abdelfattah Abusrour
المنهج العلمي ﻟﻠﺘﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﻣﻄﺒﻘﺎً على تعليم ﺍﻷﻃﻔﺎﻝ / Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education, Maria Montessori and Amanie Habashi Fawzi
تطور ﻣﻔﻬﻮﻡ البطولة في قصص ﺍﻷﻃﻔﺎﻝ المصرية / The Development of the Concept of Heroism in Egyptian Children's Literature, Nadia El Kholy
تناول نصوﺹ للأطفال ﻓﻲ بعض الأعمال ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺳﻴﻘﻴﺔ / The Treatment of Children's Literature in Selected Musical Works, Gala El Hadidi
طفولة ﺍﻟﺬﺍﻛﺮﺓ البصرية / The Childhood of Visual Memory, Mohiedddin al-Labbad, Ferial Ghazoul, Amro al-Kafarawy, and Hasnaa Makdashy
مسرح ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺍﺋﺲ بين الرؤية ﺍﻟﻄﻔﻮﻟﻴﺔ والرؤية النقدية / Puppet Theater: Between Child and Critic, Nasseif Azmy
Submissions from 2006
A Subversive Imperialist: Reappraising Freya Stark / ﺇﻣﺒﺮﻳﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﺑﺜﻮﺭﻳﺔ ﻣﺒﻄﻨﺔ: ﺇﻋﺎﺩﺓ ﺗﻘﻴﻴﻢ ﻓﺮﻳﺎ ﺳﺘﺎﺭﻙ, Malise Ruthven
Europe through Eighteenth-Century Moroccan Eyes / ﺃﻭﺭﻭﺑﺎ ﺑﻌﻴﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﻥ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻣﻦ ﻋﺸﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ, Nabil Matar
From the Diary of a Traveller: South Africa in 1923 / ﻣﻦ ﻳﻮﻣﻴﺎﺕ ﻣﺳﺎﻓﺮﺓ: ﺟﻨﻮﺏ ﺃﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﺎ ﻓﻲ ١٩٢٣, J.D.F Jones
Only the City Is Real: Lawrence Durrell's Journey to Alexandria / ﻭﺣﺪﻫﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺣﻘﻴﻘﻴﺔ: ﺭﺣﻠﺔ ﻟﻮﺭﺍﻧﺲ ﺩﺍﺭﻳﻞ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ, Michael Haag
Owen Jones: Travel and Vision of the Orient / ﺃﻭﻳﻦ ﺟﻮﻧﺰ: ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﻭﺭﺅﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻕ, Sarah Searight
Portrait du poète en pèlerin impénitent / ﺻﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﺸﺎﻋﺮ ﺣﺎﺟﺎً ﻏﻴﺮ ﺗﺎﺋﺐ, Hachem Foda
The Road Taken (An Interview) / (ﺍﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﺃﺧﺬﺗﻪ (ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ, John Rodenbeck, Ferial Ghazoul, Daniel Vitkus, and Malak Hashem
V. S. Naipaul: The White Traveler under the Dark Mask / ﭪ. ﺱ. ﻧﺎﻳﭙﻮﻝ: ﺍﻟﺮﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﺍﻷﺑﻴﺾ ﺗﺤﺚ ﻗﻨﺎﻉ ﺍﻟﺒﺸﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﺪﺍﻛﻨﺔ, Fadwa AbdelRahman
William Golding and His Egypts / ﻭﻟﻴﻢ ﺟﻮﻟﺪﻧﺞ ﻭﺃﻣﺼﺎﺭﻩ, Sahar Sobhi Abdel-Hakim
الرحلات العربية: النص و خطاب الهوية / Arab Journeys: Text and Identity Discourse, Chouaib Halifi
الرحلة بوصفها ﺟﻨﺴﺎً أدﺑﻴﺎً / The Journey as Literary Genre, Abderrahim Mouadden
الرحلة بين النص ﺍﻟﻘﺮﺁﻧﻲ والنص الصوفي / The Journey in the Quranic and Sufi Texts, Saeel Al Wakeel
الرحيل ﺷﺮﻗﺎً: ﺍﻟﺠﻐﺮﺍﻓﻴﺎ الروحية وكتابة الرحلة الصوفية / Traveling East: Spiritual Geography and the Sufi Journey, Walid El Khachab
الرحيل في مقامات بديع الزمان ﺍﻟﻬﻤﺬﺍﻧﻲ: الإيحاءات والمغزى / Traveling in Hamadhani's Maqamat: Connotations and Significances, Mohammed Birairi
ﺍﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ في ﺃعمال ﻛﺎﭬﺎﻓﻲ وداريل ﻭﺗﺴﻴﺮﻛﺎﺱ / Alexandria in Cavafy, Durrell, and Tsirkas, John Rodenbeck and Lamis Al Nakkash
دعوة إلى رحلة: "نوبة" مارجو ﭬﻴﻴﻮﻥ / Invitation to a Journey: Margo Veillon's "Nubia", Ceza Kassem Draz
رحلات ناﻳﭙﻮل إلى العالم الإسلامي: ملامح رؤية منحازة / Naipaul's Travelogues to the Islamic World: Delineating a Biased View, Fakhri Saleh
رحلة الترجمان عبر الزمان والمكان / The Dragoman's Journey through Time and Space, Madiha Doss
رسالة ابن فضلان: ﻗﺮﺍﺀﺓ ثقافية / Ibn Fadlan's Epistle: A Cultural Reading, Essam Bahiy
Submissions from 2005
A Bibliographical Guide to Edward Said / ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﺑﺒﻠﻴﻮﺟﺮﺍﻓﻲ ﻹﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ, Yasmine Ramadan
Becoming Minor: On Some Significant Encounters with Edward Said / ﺃﻥ ﻳﺼﺒﺢ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺀ ﻣﻬﻤّﺸﺎً: ﻋﻦ ﺑﻌﺾ ﻟﻘﺎﺀﺍﺕ ﺫﺍﺕ ﻣﻐﺰﻯ ﻣﻊ ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ, Ananya Jahanara Kabir
Desperate Youth / ﺍﻟﺸﺒﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻤﻴﺖ, Michael Wood
Edward Said and the Avant-Garde / ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺍﻟﻄﻠﻴﻌﺔ ﺍﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ, David LeHardy Sweet
Edward Said, Cultural Politics, and Critical Theory (An Interview) / ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺁﻟﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪﻳﺔ (ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ, Terry Eagleton
Edward Said, Humanism, and Secular Criticism / ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﺰﻋﺔ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪ ﺍﻟﺪﻧﻴﻮﻱ, Yumna Siddiqi
Edward / ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ, Andrew N. Rubin
Last Words: Said, Freud, and Traveling Theory / ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻷﺧﻴﺮﺓ: ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﻓﺮﻭﻳﺪ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺗﺤﻠﺔ, Richard H. Armstrong
Notes on Edward Said's View of Michel Foucault / ﺗﻌﻠﻴﻘﺎﺕ ﺣﻮﻝ ﺭﺅﻳﺔ ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻟﻤﻴﺸﻴﻞ ﻓﻮﻛﻮ, Ruben Chuaqui
" Of the Place " / ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﻜﺎﻥ, Hoda Guindi
On the University / ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﺎﻣﻌﺔ, Edward W. Said and Lamis Al-Naqqash
Perspectives of Polyphony in Edward Said's Writings / ﻣﻔﺎﻫﻴﻢ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﺪﺩﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺼﻮﺗﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺎﺕ ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ, Rokus de Groot
Reconciliation without Duress: Said, Adorno, and the Autonomous Intellectual / ﻣﺼﺎﻟﺤﺔ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺇﻛﺮﺍﻩ: ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺃﺩﻭﺭﻧﻮ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺜﻘﻒ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻞ, Moustafa Bayoumi
Said and Achebe: Writers at the Crossroads of Culture / ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺃﺗﺸﻴﺒﻲ: ﻛﺎﺗﺒﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻔﺘﺮﻕ ﻃﺮﻕ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﺔ, Fadwa AbdelRahman
Said, Orientalism, and Japan / ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻭﺍﻻﺳﺘﺸﺮﺍﻕ ﻭﺍﻟﻴﺎﺑﺎﻥ, Daisuke Nishihara
The Late Style of Edward Said / ﺃﺳﻠﻮﺏ ﺇﺩﻭﺍﺭﺩ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﺍﻷﺧﻴﺮﺓ, Stathis Gourgouris
Tribute to My Father / ﺇﺟﻼﻻً ﻟﻮﺍﻟﺪﻱ, Najla Said
أثر ڤيكو على إدوارد سعيد / Vico's Impact on Said, Ferial J. Ghazoul
إدوارد سعيد: ﺻﻮﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﻔﻜﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻞ / Edward Said: The Voice of Independent Thinking, Mourid Barghouti
إدوارد سعيد والقضية ﺍﻟﻔﻠﺴﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ / Edward Said and Palestine, Hassan Nafaa
الاعتراضات على سعيد بين التهافت والتحزب والتحليل / Objections to Said between Incoherence, Partisanship, and Analysis, Fathy Ibrahim
التمييز بين أمريكا الرسمية و((أمريكا الأخرى)) انطلاﻗﺎً من فكر إدوارد سعيد / Official America versus the "Other America": An Elaboration on Said's Distinction, Manar ElShorbagy
الصوت: فرانز فانون، إقبال أحمد، إدوارد سعيد / The Voice: Frantz Fanon, Eqbal Ahmad, and Edward Said, Radwa Ashour
أنطونيو غرامشي وإدوارد ﺳﻌﻴﺪ: إشكالان ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺎﻥ / Antonio Gramsci and Edward Said: Two Different Problematics, Darraj Feissal
ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﻭﻣﺔ الثقافية والسلطة: سعيد وباختين / Cultural Resistance and Power: Said and Bakhtin, Nehal Mohamed El-Naggar
دليل ببليوجرافي لإدوارد سعيد (ﻋﺮﺑﻲ) / A Bibliographical Guide to Edward Said (Arabic), Yasmine Ramadan
سعيد وماركس والاستشراق / Said, Marx, and Orientalism, Moghith Anwar
عن أعمال جان جينيه الأخيرة / On Jean Genet's Late Works, Edward W. Said and Tamer Abdel Wahab
عن الجامعة / On the University, Edward W. Said
قراءة لبعض ﻣﻔﺎهيم إدوارد سعيد النقدية / A Reading of Edward Said's Critical Concepts, Doaa Nabil Embabi
متع المنفى ومتاعبه في بعض أعمال إدوارد سعيد / The Pleasures and Perils of Exile in Some Works by Edward Said, Faten Morsy
Submissions from 2004
A Wistful Lament for an Irrecoverable Loss / ﺷﺠﻦ ﻣﻠﺘﺎﻉ ﻟﻔﻘﺪﺍﻥ ﻻ ﻳﺴﺘﺮَﺩ, Doris Shoukri
Egypt in Greco-Roman History and Fiction / ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺘﺎﺭﻳﺦ ﻭﺍﻟﺮﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺍﻹﻏﺮﻳﻖ ﻭﺍﻟﺮﻭﻣﺎﻥ, Stephen Nimis
From Past to Present and Future: The Regenerative Spirit of the Abiku / ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺿﻲ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺿﺮ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ : ﺍﻟﺮﻭﺡ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺠﺪﺩﺓ ﻟﻠ"ﺃﺑﻴﻜﻮ, Mounira Soliman
History and Poetry / ﺍﻟﺘﺎﺭﻳﺦ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ, Walid Bitar
Memory, Inequality, and Power: Palestine and the Universality of Human Rights / ﺍﻟﺬﺍﻛﺮﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﻼﻣﺴﺎﻭﺍﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﻘﻮﺓ: ﻓﻠﺴﻄﻴﻦ ﻭﻋﺎﻟﻤﻴﺔ ﺣﻘﻮﻕ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ, Edward W. Said
Musical Recall: Postmemory and the Punjabi Diaspora / ﺍﻻﺳﺘﺪﻋﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺳﻴﻘﻲ : ﺍﻟﺬﺍﻛﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﺘﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﭙﻨﺠﺎﺑﻲ, Ananya Jahanara Kabir
" Nothing but Little Lines " / ﻟﻴﺲ ﺇﻻ ﺳﻄﻮﺭﺍﹰ ﺻﻐﻴﺮﺓ, Steffen Stelzer
Sahara (For Doris Shoukri) / ﺻﺤﺎﺭﻯ ﻗﺼﻴﺪﺓ ﻣﻬﺪﺍﺓ ﻟﺪﻭﺭﻳﺲ ﺷﻜﺮﻱ), Desmond O'Grady
The Uses of Interpretation in Hamlet / ﺍﺳﺘﺨﺪﺍﻣﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺄﻭﻳﻞ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺮﺣﻴﺔ ((ﻫﺎﻣﻠﺖ, Leslie Croxford
Valentinus et Nomina: Saussure, Plato, and Signification / ﭬﺎﻻﻧﺘﻴﻨﻮﺱ ﻭﺍﻷﺳﻤﺎﺀ: ﺳﻮﺳﻮﺭ٬ ﺃﻓﻼﻃﻮﻥ٬ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻐﺰﻯ, Rondo Keele
yromeM citeoP fo ygoloehcrA ehT :sregniF fo cisuM ehT / عزفاﹰ على أصابع اليد: ﺣﻔﺮﻳﺎﺕ في الذاكرة الشعرية, Hasab al-Shaykh Jaafar
yrotsiH gninoitseuQ dna levoN ehT / الرواية ومساءلة التاريخ, Nagwa Shaaban
yteicoS barA yraropmetnoC ni noitisoP stI :cisuM cibarA lacissalC / الموسيقى العربية الكلاسيكية ومكانتها في المجتمع العربي ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﺻﺮ, Hassan Scheherazade Qassim
ﺍﻟﻘﻀﺎﺀ والقدر: بحث في التراسل بين القديم والجديد / Fate and Destiny: An Exploration of the Interconnection between the Old and the New, Muhammad Birari
الخيط السري بين القديم والحديث في ﺍﻟﻔﻦ: مقابلة مع رافع الناصري / The Secret Thread between the Old and the New in Art: Interview with Rafa Al-Nasiry, May Muzaffar and Rafa Al-Nasiry
القص والاقتصاص بين قديم اللحظة وجديد التاريخ : قراءة في رواية ﻣﺘﻮﻥ ﺍﻷﻫﺮﺍﻡ ﻟﻠﻐﻴﻄﺎﻧﻲ / Narrating and Tracing the Past: A Reading of al-Ghitani's Mutun al-ahram, Ayman El-Desouky and Abou Ja'far Al-Idrisi
الكتابة خارج المكان : "الحب وﺍﻟﻔﺎﻧﺘﺎﺯﻳﺎ" لآسيا جبار و"خارطة الحب" لأهداف سويف / Writing Out of Place: Djebar's L'amour, la fantasia and Soueif's The Map of Love, Samia Mehrez, Asya Djebar, and Ahdaf Soueif
تجربتي في ﺍﻟﺠﺎﻣﻌﺔ ورٶيتي لدورها ﺍﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻲ / The Idea of University and My Experience with Higher Education, Doris Shoukri and Lamise El Nakash
ذاكرة الأ(د)ب في "ذاكرة الجسد" / Recalling (Af)filiation in Memory in the Flesh, Ferial J. Ghazoul
Submissions from 2003
Authorship in Sufi Poetry / ﻣﻔﻬﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻤﺆﻟﻒ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ ﺍﻟﺼﻮﻓﻲ, Michael Frishkropf