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).
For more information about Alif, please visit the journal's home page.
Submissions from 1995
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
Madness and Misogyny in Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest / ﺍﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﻭﻧﺒﺬ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺭﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﻛﻦ ﻛﻴﺴﻲ ﺍﻟﻄﻴﺮ ﻓﻮﻕ ﻋﺶ ﺍﻟﻮﻗﻮﺍﻕ, Daniel J. Vitkus
Madness and Partition: The Short Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto / ﺍﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻘﺴﻴﻢ : ﻗﺼﺺ ﺳﻌﺎﺩﺕ ﺣﺴﻦ ﻣﻨﺘﻮ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﻴﺮﺓ, Stephen Alter
Madness as Textual Strategy in the Narratives of Three Egyptian Women Writers / ﺍﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﻛﺈﺳﺘﺮﺍﺗﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻧﺼﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﺮﺩ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺛﻼﺙ ﻛﺎﺗﺒﺎﺕ ﻣﺼﺮﻳﺎﺕ, Dinah Manisty
Madness, Creativity and Society (Interview) / (ﺍﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﻭﺍﻹﺑﺪﺍﻉ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤﻊ (ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ, Yehya El-Rakhawy
The Madness of Rebellion: The Rhetoric of Impotence in Mikhail Rumane's al-Zujaj / ﺟﻨﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﺘﻤﺮﺩ: ﺑﻼﻏﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﺠﺰ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺮﺣﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺰﺟﺎﺝ ﻟﻤﻴﺨﺎﺋﻴﻞ ﺭﻭﻣﺎﻥ, Mahmoud El Lozy
The Topology of Madness: Philosophic Seduction in Plato's Phaedrus / ﻃﻮﺑﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﺍﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ : ﺍﻹﻏﻮﺍﺀ ﺍﻟﻔﻠﺴﻔﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻓﻴﺪﺭﻭﺱ ﻷﻓﻼﻃﻮﻥ, Robert Switzer
أبله دوستويفسكي بين الواقع والمثال / Dostoevsky's Idiot between the Real and the Ideal, Makarem El-Ghamry
الجنون / Madness, Nabil Naoum Gorgy
الجنون" بين إرازموس والنيسابوري / Erasmus and Al-Naysaburi on Madness, Ceza Kassem-Draz
الجنون في السينما المصرية / Madness in Egyptian Cinema, Farida Marei
الجنون ومنطق الخيال في فن التصوير / Madness and the Logic of Imagination in Painting, Adel El Siwi
ألفاظ الجنون والحمق ومفاهيمها في العربية / The Terminology and Notion of Madness in Arabic, Karim Hussam El-Din
جمالياب الحلم: "تداعيات" / The Aesthetics of Dreams: "Reflections", Abdul Maqsud Abdul Karim
جنون الطغيان عند فولر وأورويل / The Madness of Tyranny in the Works of Fuller and Orwell, Ali Al-Ghamdi
مرحلة المرآة / Le stade du miroir, Jacques Lacan and Walid El-Khachab
Submissions from 1993
Crippling a People: Palestinian Children and Israeli State Violence / ﺗﻌﻮﻳﻖ ﺷﻌﺐ: ﺍﻷﻃﻔﺎﻝ ﺍﻟﻔﻠﺴﻄﻴﻨﻴﻮﻥ ﻭﻋﻨﻒ ﺍﻟﺪﻭﻟﺔ ﺍﻹﺳﺮﺍﺋﻴﻠﻴﺔ, James A. Graff
Human Concordance and the Rhetoric of Utopia / ﺍﻟﺗﻮﺍﻓﻖ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻧﻲ ﻭﺑﻴﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﺗﻮﺑﻴﺎ, Robert Switzer
Human Rights in the Contemporary Hindi Short Story / ﺣﻘﻮﻕ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﺔ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﻴﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﺻﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﻜﺘﻮﺑﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪﻳﺔ, A. S. Kalsi
Images of Young Palestinian Women Studying in Cairo (Photo Essay) / (ﻣﺸﺎﻫﺪ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﻴﺎﺓ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﻣﻴﺔ ﻟﻄﺎﻟﺒﺎﺕ ﻓﻠﺴﻄﻴﻨﻴﺎﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮﺓ (ﻣﻘﺎﻟﺔ ﻣﺼﻮﺭﺓ, Randa Sha'ath
La Violence dans Kalîla wa-Dimna d'Ibn al-Muqaffa' / ﺍﻟﻌﻨﻒ ﻓﻲ ﻛﺘﺎﺏ ﻛﻠﻴﻠﺔ ﻭﺩﻣﻨﺔ ﻻﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﻔﻊ, Claude Audebert
My Experience with Writing / ﺗﺠﺮﺑﺘﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻜﺘﺎﺑﺔ, Radwa Ashour and Rebecca Porteous
On Reading the Earth / ﻓﻲ ﻗﺮﺍﺀﺓ ﺍﻷﺭﺽ, Sa'di Yusuf and Ferial J. Ghazoul
Peoples' Rights and Literature/ ﺣﻘﻮﻕ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﻮﺏ ﻭﺍﻷﺩﺏ, Edward Said and Jonathan Rée
Self-Definition as a Catalyst for Resistance in Hove's Bones / ﺩﻭﺭ ﺗﻌﺮﻳﻒ ﺍﻟﺬﺍﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻠﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﻭﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺭﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﺎﻡ ﻟﻬﻮﭬﻲ, Pauline Kaldas
The Primal Urgency of Aimé Césaire: An Introduction and Six Poems / ﺍﻷﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﺤّﺔ ﻹﻳﻤﻲ ﺳﻴﺰﻳﺮ: ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ ﻭﺳﺖ ﻗﺼﺎﺋﺪ, T. J. Anderson, Aimé Césaire, and Richard Lanoie
القهر والصمود في شعر مظفر النواب / Oppression and Defiance in the Poetry of Muzaffar al-Nawwab, Muzaffar Al-Nawwab and Salaam Yousif
القومية وحقوق الإنسان والتفسير / Nationalism, Human Rights and Interpretation, Edward Said and Ahmed Taher Hassanein
النظرية النقدية الحديثة وحقوق الإنسان / Modern Literary Theory and Human Rights, Sabry Hafez
تحويل مسار التنوير / Le Détournement des Lumières, Tzvetan Todorov and Walid El-Khachab
لغة الكيان وكيان اللغة عند الأكستانيين / The Being of Language and the Language of Being among Occitanians, Aida Adib Bamia
مجتمعات المراقبة / Les Sociétés de contrôle, Gilles Deleuze and Mohamed Berrada
نقد خطاب التسلط وآليات الإقصاء / A Critique of Hegemonic Discourse and the Mechanisms of Exclusion, Ali Mabrook
Submissions from 1992
Analogy: Translating the One / ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﺱ ﺍﻟﺘﻤﺜﻴﻠﻲ : ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﺣﺪ, Steffen Stelzer
Dante Revisited / ﻋﻮﺩ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺩﺍﻧﺘﻲ, Doris Enright-Clark Shoukri
Figurative Discourse in Medieval Arabic Criticism / ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺎﺯﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻴﻂ, Hoda El Sadda
The Philosopher's Stone: Alchemy and Chemistry / ﺣﺠﺮ ﺍﻟﻔﻼﺳﻔﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻴﻤﻴﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﻮﺭ ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ, Jehane Ragai
The Symbolic Function of Metaphor in Medieval Sufi Poetry: The Case of Shushtari / ﺍﻟﻮﻇﻴﻔﺔ ﺍﻟﺮﻣﺰﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺠﺎﺯ ﻓﻲ ﺷﻌﺮ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﻮﺭ ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ ﺍﻟﺼﻮﻓﻲ: ﺩﺭﺍﺳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﺸﺘﺮﻱ, Omaima Abou-Bakr
الرمز والأمثولة في التعبير الشعبي / Symbol and Allegory in Popular Expression, Nabila Ibrahim
بلاغة المقموعين / The Rhetoric of the Oppressed, Gaber Asfour
رسالة دانتي إلى كان غراندي / Dante's Letter to Can Grande, Ahmed Etman and Dante Al-Layghayri
رمزية الألف عند ابن عربي / The Symbolism of the Letter Alif in Ibn ʿArabi, Hala Fouad
في المجاز الروحي: حوار مع متى المسكين, Matta El-Maeskeen, Houda Wasfi, Nasir Hamed Abou Zayd, and Jaber Asfour
مركبة "المجاز": من يقودها؟ وإلى أين ؟ / The Vehicle of Metaphor: Who Drives It and Whither ?, Nasr Hamid Abu Zeid
ﻛﺄﻥ" بين ﺍﻟﺘﺸﺨﻴﺺ والتشبيه / Ka'anna (as if) between Personification and Similitude, Suad Al-Manie
Submissions from 1991
Egyptian Poetry since the Seventies a Miniature Anthology: Introduction and Translation / ﺍﻧﺜﻮﻟﻮﭼﻴﺎ ﻣﺼّﻐﺮﺓ, Maher Shafiq Farid
Experimentation and the Institution: The Case of Idâ'ah 77 and Aswât / ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺮﻳﺐ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺆﺳﺴﺔ: ﺗﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﺟﻤﺎﻋﺘﻲ "ﺇﺿﺎﺀﺓ -٧٧" ﻭ "ﺃﺻﻮﺍﺕ, Samia Mehrez
Le drame poétique comme lieu d'expérience / ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺮﺡ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮﻱ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺠﺮﻳﺐ, Hoda Wasfi
River Tattoos on Bodily Charts "Fourth Tattoo" / " ﺍﻟﻮﺷﻢ ﺍﻟﺮﺍﺑﻊ " ﻟﻤﻄﺮ, Muhammad Afifi Matar and Mohammed Enani
Selected Experimental Poems / ﻣﺨﺘﺎﺭﺍﺕ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺮﻳﺒﻲ, Salwa Kamel, Francis Liardet, and Samia Mehrez
الشاعر (التجريبي) والثقافة / The (Experimental) Poet and Culture, Abdul Maqsud Abdul Karim
أنطولوجية الجسد والإبداع الثقافى فى شعر مطر / Corporeal Ontology and Cultural Creativity: Matar's Poetics, Ramadan Basttawicy
آية :جيم / The Verse of Jim, Ceza Kassem-Draz
بيبليوجرافيا شعراء السبعينات فى مصر مع تعليق / A Bibliography and Commentary : Poetry of the Seventies, Rif'at Sallam
تحولات الشعر والواقع فى السبعينات / The Transformation of Poetry and Reality in the 1970s, Sabry Hafez
لغة الحلم والأسطورة فى شعر السبعينات فى مصر / The Language of Dreams and Myths: Egyptian Poets of the Seventies, Shakir Abdul Hamid
ملاحظات حول شعر العامية المصرية فى السبعينات / Notes on Egyptian Vernacular Poetry Since the Seventies, Magid Yusuf
Submissions from 1990
Brecht and the Egyptian Political Theatre / ﺑﺮﺧﺖ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺴﺮﺡ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺮﻱ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﻲ, Mahmoud el Lozy
Communication and Cultural Theory: Armand Mattelart in Chile / ﻭﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﺍﻹﺗﺼﺎﻝ ﻭﻧﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﺔ: ﻣﺎﺗﻴﻼﺭ ﻓﻲ ﺷﻴﻠﻲ, Timothy Brennan and Ewart Skinner
Engels and Ibn Khaldun / ﺇﻧﻐﻠﺰ ﻭﺍﺑﻦ ﺧﻠﺪﻭﻥ, Nicholas S. Hopkins
Introduction to Kanafani's " Thoughts on Change and the 'Blind Language' " / ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ " ﺃﻓﻜﺎﺭ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺘﻐﻴﻴﺮ ﻭ 'ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﻴﺎﺀ' " ﻟﻠﻜﻨﻔﺎﻧﻲ, Barbara Harlow
Making Films Politically: Marxism in Eisenstein and Godard / ﻋﻤﻞ ﺍﻷﻓﻼﻡ ﺳﻴﺎﺳﻴﺎً: ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺭﻛﺴﻴﺔ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺃﻳﺰﻳﻨﺸﺘﻴﻦ ﻭﻏﻮﺩﺍﺭ, Maureen Kiernan
On Contemporary Marxist Theory: An Interview with Fredric Jameson / ﺣﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺭﻛﺴﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﺻﺮﺓ, Fredric Jameson, Sabry Hafez, Abbas Al-Tonsi, and Mona Abousenna
Shari'ati and Marx: A Critique of an "Islamic" Critique of Marxism / ﺷﺮﻳﻌﺘﻲ ﻭﻣﺎﺭﻛﺲ : ﻧﻘﺪ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪ "ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻣﻲ" ﻟﻠﻤﺎﺭﻛﺴﻴﺔ, Assef Bayat
The Meaning of Ishtirakiyah: Arab Peceptiona of Socialism in the Nineteenth Century / ﻣﻌﺎﻧﻲ ﺍﻹﺷﺘﺮﺍﻛﻴﺔ : ﺇﺩﺭﺍﻛﺎﺕ ﻋﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﻟﻺﺷﺘﺮﺍﻛﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﻥ ﺍﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ, Mourad Magdi Wahba
Thoughts on Change and the "Blind Language" / ﺃﻓﻜﺎﺭ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺘﻐﻴﺮ ﻭ "ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﻴﺎﺀ, Ghassan Kanafani, Barbara Harlow, and Nejd Yaziji
الأسس الفلسفية لنظرية أدورنو الجمالية / The Philosophical Bases of Adorno's Aesthetics, Ramadan Basttawicy
الانعكاس والانعكاس الأدبي / Reflection and Literary Reflection, Feissal Darraj
التراث بين التأويل والتلوين: قراءة في مشروع اليسار الإسلامي / The Heritage between Interpretation and Coloration: A Reading in the Project of the Islamic Left, Nasr H. Abu Zeid
الماركسية والعالم الثالث / Marxism and the Third World, Ismail Sabri Abdalla
حول الالتزام السياسي والكتابة النسائية / On Political Commitment and Feminist Writing, Latifa Al-Zayat, Sumaya Ramadan, Faridah Mar'i, and Ibrahim al-Hariri
داسبر وألتوسير: رسالتان في معرفة الفن / Daspre/Althusser: Deux lettres sur la connaissance de l'art, Ferial J. Ghazoul, Andre Daspre, and Louis Althusser
Submissions from 1989
Aprés le Temps Moderne / ﻣﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺯﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﺍﺛﺔ, Doris Enright-Clark Shoukri
Orientalist Discourse and the Concept of Tradition in Anglo-American Literary Criticism / ﺍﻟﺨﻄﺎﺏ ﺍﻹﺳﺘﺸﺮﺍﻗﻲ ﻭﻣﻔﻬﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﺪ ﺍﻷﺩﺑﻲ ﺍﻷﻧﺠﻠﻮ - ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ, Saad A. al-Bazei
Past, Present and Future in Poetry: MacDiarmid and the Scottish Revival / ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺿﻲ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﺎﺿﺮ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ: ﻣﺎﻛﺪﻳﺮﻣﻴﺪ ﻭﺍﻹﺣﻴﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻜﻮﺗﻠﻨﺪﻱ, Cherien Lennie
Présent - instant et mise en scène de l'ecriture / ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺿﺮ - ﺍﻟﻠﺤﻈﺔ ﺃﻭ ﺗﺼﺪﺭ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻜﺘﺎﺑﺔ, Randa Sabry
The Name of the Rose: Time and the Dialectics of Parallel Structures / ﺍﺳﻢ ﺍﻟﻮﺭﺩﺓ: ﺍﻟﺰﻣﻦ ﻭﺟﺪﻟﻴﺔ ﺗﻮﺍﺯﻱ ﺍﻟﺒﻨﻴﺔ, Sabry Hafez
The Time-Shift in the Good Soldier / ﺍﻟﻨﻘﻼﺕ ﺍﻟﺰﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺭﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺠﻨﺪﻱ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻴﻞ, Farida Elizabeth A. Dahab