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 1999
قضية المرأة بين سندان الحداثة ومطرقة التقاليد: دراسة في تاريخ النصوص / Women's Question Between the Hammer of Modernity and the Anvil of Traditions: A Study in the History of Texts, Nasr Hamid Abu-Zeid
مي زيادة والنقد النسائي: قراءة في كتابها عن عائشة تيمور / Mai Ziyada and Feminist Criticism: A Reading of her Book on ʿAisha Taymur, Olfat Kamal Al Rouby
Submissions from 1998
A Few Thoughts on Indian Fiction, 1947-1997 / ﺧﻮﺍﻃﺮ ﺣﻮﻝ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﺼﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪ٬ ١٩٤٧-١٩٩٧, Stephen Alter
Epic Struggles over India's Forests in Mahasweta Devi's Short Fiction / ﺍﻟﺼﺮﺍﻉ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﺤﻤﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻏﺎﺑﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻗﺼﺺ ﻣﺎﻫﺎﺳﻮﻳﺘﺎ ﺩﻳﭭﻲ, Jennifer Wenzel
Gandhi and the Discourse of Rural Development in Independent India / ﻏﺎﻧﺪﻱ ﻭﺧﻄﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺘﻨﻤﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺭﻳﻔﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻠﺔ, Nicholas S. Hopkins
Memories of Faiz / ﻓﺎﻳﺰ (ﻓﻴﺾ ﺃﺣﻤﺪ ﻓﻴﺾ) : ﺫﻛﺮﻳﺎﺕ, Sabiha T. Aydelott
My Place in the World / ﻣﻜﺎﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ, Bapsi Sidhwa and Preeti Singh
"Shakespeare" and the Codes of Empire in India / ﺷﻜﺴﺒﻴﺮ" ﻭ ﺷﻔﺮﺍﺕ ﺍﻹﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪ", Nandi Bhatia
The Alexandrian Quintet / ﺧﻤﺎﺳﻴﺔ ﺍﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ, Sudeep Sen
The English Patient: From Fiction to Reel / ﺍﻟﻤﺮﻳﺾ ﺍﻹﻧﺠﻠﻴﺰﻱ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ, Maggie M. Morgan
The Fragmentation of Culture in Afghanistan / ﺍﻟﺘﺸﻈﻲ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻓﻐﺎﻧﺴﺘﺎﻥ, Larry Goodson
The Modern Re-Appropriation of Myth / ﺍﻻﺳﺘﺤﻮﺍﺫ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻷﺳﻄﻮﺭﺓ, Hassan Khan
The Poetics of Solidarity: Palestine in Modern Urdu Poetry / ﺟﻤﺎﻟﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﻀﺎﻣﻦ : ﻓﻠﺴﻄﻴﻦ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ ﺍﻷﻭﺭﺩﻱ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ, Shahad Ahmad
The Rhetoric of Epidemic in India: News Coverage of AIDS / ﺍﻟﺘﻐﻄﻴﺔ ﺍﻹﻋﻼﻣﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻮﺑﺎﺀ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪ: ﺍﻹﻳﺪﺯ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺼﺤﺎﻓﺔ, Mark Allen Peterson
أسطورة الفقد / الاستعادة : إعادة قراءة باكستانية للأندلس / Myth of Lost/Regained: A Pakistani Rereading of Andalusia, Marie-Thérèse Abd El Messih
البصيرة الثانية : قصائد مختارة / Second Sight: Selected Poems, A. K. Ramanujan and Muhammad Afifi Matar
تباريح وقائع هندية قديمة / Yearnings for Bygone Indian Encounters, Edwar Al-Kharrat
خماسية الإسكندرية / The Alexandrian Quintet, Sudeep Sen and Youssef Saadi
دراسات التابع : تفكيك التأريخ / Subaltern Studies: Deconstructing Historiography, Spivak Gayaytri Chakravorty and Samia Mehrez
سلام بومباي : رؤية عن عشوائية التخلف / Salaam Bombay: On Underdevelopment and Desultoriness, Salwa Bakr
صورة ورؤيا زاهد من سري لانكا / Portrait and Vision of A Sri Lankan "Saint", Gananath Obeyesekere and Eman El-Nouhy
مدرسة دراسات التابع ومسألة الحداثة / Subaltern Studies School and the Question of Modernity, Timothy Mitchell and Bashir El-Siba'i
مشاكل الكاتب الهندي / The Indian Writer's Problems, Anita Desai and Rasha Faltas
مواجهات إعجاز أحمد الثقافية / The Cultural Confrontations of Aijaz Ahmad, Muhsin Jassim Al Musawi
هارون وبحر القصص : " ما فائدة القصص التي لا تتسم حتى بالصدق؟ " / Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Esmat Abd El Wahab
Submissions from 1997
Between Turban and Tarbush: Modernity and the Anxieties of Transition in Hadith 'Isa ibn Hisham / ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﻣﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻄﺮﺑﻮﺵ: ﺍﻟﺤﺪﺍﺛﺔ ﻭﻗﻠﻖ ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻮﻝ ﻓﻲ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻋﻴﺴﻲ ﺑﻦ ﻫﺸﺎﻡ, Anshuman A. Mondal
Challenging Aristotle: The Form of an African Drama / ﺗﺤﺪﻱ ﺃﺭﺳﻄﻮ: ﺷﻜﻞ ﺍﻟﺪﺭﺍﻣﺎ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﺔ, Frances Harding
Interpretation of African Orature: Oral Specificity and Literary Analysis / ﺗﻔﺴﻴﺮ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﻳﻘﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﻔﻮﻱ, Abdul-Rasheed Na'Allah
Memories of Griots / (ﺫﻛﺮﻳﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺮﻭﺍﺓ (ﺍﻟﻐﺮﻳﻮ, Nicholas S. Hopkins
Representation and Postmodern Anthropology / ﺻﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻵﺧﺮ ﻭﺃﻧﺜﺮﻭﺑﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﺍﺛﺔ, Elizabeth Fernea
The Anthropology and Ethnophilosophy of African Literature / ﺗﻮﺍﺷﺞ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﻳﻘﻲ ﺑﺎﻷﻧﺜﺮﻭﺑﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﻭﺍﻟﻔﻠﺴﻔﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﻠﻴﺔ, Archie Mafeje
The Silences of a Maasai Novel: Kulet's Is It Possible? / ﺃﺑﻌﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﺼﻤﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺭﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺳﺎﻱ : ﻫﻞ ﺑﺎﻹﻣﻜﺎﻥ؟ ﻟﻬﻨﺮﻱ ﻛﻮﻟﻴﺖ, David Dorsey
The Subterranean Supper: Mizar's Face / ﺍﻟﻌﺸﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻔﻠﻲ : ﻭﺟﻪ ﻣﻴﺰﺍﺭ, Mohammed Chergui and Norddine Zouitni
The Theme of Motherhood in Sub-Saharan Women's Poetry / ﺗﻴﻤﺔ ﺍﻷﻣﻮﻣﺔ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺍﻟﺸﺎﻋﺮﺍﺕ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﻳﻘﻳﺎﺕ, Shereen Abou El Naga
أسطورة الخلق في شرق أفريقيا / The Myth of Creation in East Africa, Abdul Hamid M. El Zein and Nabila Ibrahim
الأنا - الآخر: أفريقيا في مرآة رحالة ألمان ( ١٨٤٧ - ١٨٤٧ ) / The Self-The Other: Africa in the Mirror of German Travellers (1847-1923), Fatima Massoud
الأنثروبولوجيا والفكر والأدب / Anthropology as Vocation, Ahmed Abou Zeid and Ferial Ghazoul
البعد الإثنوجرافي للعمل الروائي: شهادﺓ / The Ethnographic Dimension in Fiction: A Testimony, Miral Al-Tahawi
الرواية الصوفية في الأدب المغاربي / The Sufi Novel in the Maghreb, Ferial J. Ghazoul
القناع فنياﹰ: أفريقيا وما بعدها / The Masque as Art: Africa and Beyond, Adel El Siwi
تجليات أسطورية للصحراء الأفريقية الكبرى في الرواية العربية / Mythic Manifestations of the Sahara in the Arabic Novel, Salah Salih
حول الأليجوريا الإثنوجرافية / On Ethnographic Allegory, James Clifford and Ceza Kassem Draz
ملامح السيرة الشعبية الأفريقية والعربية والفرنسية / African, Arabian and French Folk Epics, Gusine Gawdat Osman
Submissions from 1996
A Call for Rationalism: "Arab Averroists" in the Twentieth Century / ﺩﻋﻮﺓ ﻟﻠﻌﻘﻼﻧﻴﺔ: ﺍﻟﺮﺷﺪﻳﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺏ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﻥ ﺍﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ, Anke von Kugelgen
Averroës, Precursor of the Enlightenment? / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻣﺴﺘﺒﻖ ﺣﺮﻛﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻨﻮﻳﺮ؟, Charles Butterworth
Contextualizing Averroës within the German Hermeneutic Tradition / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺳﻴﺎﻕ ﺍﻟﺨﻄﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺘﺄﻭﻳﻠﻲ ﺍﻷﻟﻤﺎﻧﻲ, Ernest Wolf-Gazo
Decisive Meetings: Ibn Rushd, Ibn 'Arabi, and the Matter of Knowledge / ﻟﻘﺎﺀﺍﺕ ﻓﺎﺻﻠﺔ : ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻭﺍﺑﻦ ﻋﺮﺑﻲ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ, Steffen Stelzer
From Distinction to Separation: Analogues of Rationality in Time / ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺘﻤﻴﻴﺰ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺘﻔﺮﻳﻖ : ﺍﻟﺘﻤﺎﺛﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﻨﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻔﻜﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﻘﻼﻧﻴﺔ ﻋﺒﺮ ﺍﻟﺰﻣﻦ, Michael S. Ruse
Henry Bate's Metamorphosis of Averroës / ﺍﻟﺼﻴﺎﻏﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻮﻳﻠﻴﺔ ﻻﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻮﺳﻮﻋﺔ ﻫﻨﺮﻱ ﺑﻴﺖ, Guy Guldentops
Ibn Rushd, Kant and Transcendent Rationality: A Critical Synthesis / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻭﻛﺎﻧﻂ, Alparslan Acikgenc
Ibn Rushd's Theory of Rationality / ﻧﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﻘﻼﻧﻴﺔ, Ibrahim Youssef Najjar
On Ibn Rushd, Philosophy and the Arab World (Interview) / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ ﻭﻫﻤﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻔﻠﺴﻔﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻮﻃﻦ (ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ, Muhsin Mahdi
Why Europeans Stopped Reading Averroës: The Case of Pierre Bayle / ﻟﻤﺎﺫﺍ ﺗﻮﻗﻒ ﺍﻷﻭﺭﻭﺑﻴﻮﻥ ﻋﻦ ﻗﺮﺍﺀﺓ ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﺪ: ﺩﻭﺭ ﭘﻴﻴﺮ ﺑﻴﻞ, Harold Stone
ابن رشد بين التعددية والوحدانية / Ibn Rushd Between Pluralism and Oneness, Zeinab Mahmoud El-Khodeiry
ابن رشد: شهادة من مقصورة المتفرجين / Ibn Rushd: A Spectator's Testimony, Muhammad Afifi Matar
ابن رشد فقيهاً / Ibn Rushd as a Jurist, Hassan Hanafi
إشكالية استمرار الدرس الفلسفي الرشدي: حول أثر الغزالي في المدرسة الرشدية بالمغرب / The Decline of the Averroist Lesson: On the Impact of al-Ghazālī on Maghrebi Averroism, Abdelmajid Sghiar
حق النظر في المبادئ الأولى بين الفلسفة والعلم عند ابن رشد / The Right to First Principles Between Philosophy and Science According to Ibn Rushd, Muhammed Mesbahi
خطاب ابن رشد بين حق المعرفة وضغوط الخطاب النقيض / The Discourse of Ibn Rushd Between Knowledge and Constraint, Nasr Hamid Abu-Zeid
ملاحظات أولية حول وضعية المرأة عند ابن رشد / Ibn Rusha on the Question of Women: Preliminary Remarks, Ahmad Abdoul-Halim Atiyya
Submissions from 1995
A Wanderer Seeking the Words of Love in Impossible Cities / ﻫﺎﺋﻢ ﻳﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﺳﻤﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺤﺐ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﺤﻴﻠﺔ "ﻃﻮﻕ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﻣﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﻘﻮﺩ": ﺣﻮﺍﺭ ﻣﻊ ﺧﻤﻴﺲ ﺧﻴﺎﻃﻲ, Nacer Khemir, Khemais Khayati, and Maggie Awadalla
Combative Cultural Politics: Film Art and Political Spaces in Egypt / ﻣﻌﺘﺮﻙ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﺔ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﻭﺍﻟﺴﺎﺣﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ, Raymond Baker
Cultural Hegemony and National Film Language: Youssef Chahine / ﺍﻟﻬﻴﻤﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﻭﻟﻐﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻘﻮﻣﻴﺔ: ﻳﻮﺳﻒ ﺷﺎﻫﻴﻦ, Maureen Kiernan
New Cinema, Commercial Cinema, and the Modernist Tradition in Egypt / ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺠﺎﺭﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﺪﺍﺛﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ, Walter Armbrust
New Realism in Arab Cinema: The Defeat-Conscious Cinema / ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻗﻌﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ: ﺳﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻮﻋﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﻬﺰﻳﻤﺔ, Nouri Bouzid and Shereen El Ezabi
Shifting Identities in Maghribi Cinema: The Algerian Paradigm / ﺗﺤﻮﻻﺕ ﺍﻟﻬﻮﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﻐﺎﺭﺑﻴﺔ: ﺍﻟﺠﺰﺍﺋﺮ ﻧﻤﻮﺫﺟﺎً, Sabry Hafez
Social Criticism in Iraqi Cinema / ﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪ ﺍﻹﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺍﻗﻴﺔ, Shakir Nouri and Nicholas Hopkins
The Birth of Algerian Cinema: The Anti-Hero / ﺍﻟﻼﺑﻄﻞ ﻭﻧﺸﻮﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﺠﺰﺍﺋﺮﻳﺔ, Rachid Boudjedra and Maya El Kaliouby
The Dream: Extracts from a Film Diary / ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺎﻡ: ﻣﺨﺘﺎﺭﺍﺕ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻔﻜﺮﺓ ﻓﻴﻠﻢ, Muhammad Malas and Rebecca Porteous
The Plight of Women in Literary Text and Filmic Adaptation / ﻣﻌﺎﻧﺎﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﺺ ﺍﻷﺩﺑﻲ ﻭﺍﻟﻔﻴﻠﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺘﺒﺲ ﻋﻨﻪ, Ghada Helmy
The "Possessed" or the Symbolic Body in Moroccan Cinema / ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺬﻭﺏ ﺃﻭ ﺍﻟﺠﺴﺪ ﺍﻟﺮﻣﺰﻱ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ, Farid Al-Zahi and Tahia Khalid Abdel Nasser
Trois Lettres / ﺭﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ ﺻﺎﻟﺢ ﺍﻟﺜﻼﺙ, Tewfik Saleh and Richard Jacquemond
War as Subject for Cinema / ﺍﻟﺤﺮﺏ ﺫﺭﻳﻌﺔ ﺳﻴﻨﻤﺎﺋﻴﺔ, Abdo Waxen and Ferial J. Ghazoul
إعادة اكتشاف فيلم مصري مختلف: "صورة" مدكور ثابت / The Rediscovery of a Different Egyptian Film: Madkour Thabet's Image, Ossama El Kaffash
الرقابة والسينما الأخرى: شهادة رقيب / Censorship and the Other Cinema: Testimony of a Censor, Moustafa Darwish
السينما البديلة والوعي السياسي: نماذج / Alternative Cinema and Political Consciousness: Examples, Edward Said and Alaa El Gibali
السينما التي أصنعها مزعجة / The Cinema I Make Is Disturbing, Omar Amiralai and Marwan Darraj
السينما هي الأداة الأكثر إفصاحا / Cinema is the Most Expressive Medium, Muhammad Malas and Marwan Darraj
بهجة أن تحكي أفراداً / The Joy of Narrating Individuals, Yusri Nasralla and Hossam Elwan
بوح حول السينما الشعرية / Reflections on Poetic Cinema, Hatem Hamad
حبك التقاليد الشعبية في الدراما السينمائية / Weaving Folk Traditions in the Cinematic Plot, Khaled Sidik
خواطر حول هاجس التلقي في السينما / Remarks on Reception Aesthetics in Arab Cinema, Tewfik Saleh
رؤية سينمائية وسيرة فنية / An Artistic Trajectory in Cinema, Muhammad Shukri Jamil
سيرة الفنان الذاتية في السينما العربية / Autobiography in Arab Cinema, Mahmoud Kassem
سينما الدولة سينما بديلة: قراءة في تجربة القطاع العام السينمائي في مصر / National Cinema as an Alternative Cinema in Egypt, May El Telmissany
صلاح أبو سيف وتجذير الواقعية والتنوير في السينما المصرية / Salah Abu Seif and the Cultivation of Realism and Enlightenment in Egyptian Cinema, Hashem Al-Nahhas
Submissions from 1994
Abrogation of the Mind in the Poetry of Jalal al-Din Rumi / ﻧﺴﺦ ﺍﻟﻌﻘﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺷﻌﺮ ﺟﻼﻝ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﻭﻣﻲ, Jalal al-Din Rumi and Omaima Abou-Bakr
Al-Naysaburi's Wise Madmen: Introduction / ﺍﻟﻨﻴﺴﺎﺑﻮﺭﻱ: ﻋﻘﻼﺀ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺎﻧﻴﻦ, Shereen El-Ezabi