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 1988
إشكالية ثنائية المعنى / Paul Ricœur : Le problème du double-sens, Ferial J. Ghazoul
التأويل ﻓﻲ كتاب سيبويه / The Hermeneutic Aspect of Sibawaihi's Grammar, Nasr Abu Zaid
تصور الحب والنور عند زوار السيدة زينب بالقاهرة / Love and Light in the Imagination of al-Sayyida Zaynab's Pilgrims, Nadia Mohamed Abu Zahra
ﺍﻟﺘﻔﺴﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﺁﻧﻲ : توالد النصوص وإشباع الدلالة / Texts' Generation and the Saturation of Meaning, Ceza Kassem-Draz
قراءة النص / Reading the Text, حسن حنفي
Submissions from 1987
Adonis: Language, Culture and Reality / ﺃﺩﻭﻧﻴﺲ: ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺔ ، ﺍﻟﺛﻘﺎﻓﺔ ، ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻗﻊ, Ali Ahmed Adonis Sai'd, Nancy Berg, and Nur Elmessiri
Al-Qassam Remembered / ﻓﻲ ﺫﻛﺮﻯ ﺍﻟﻘﺴّﺎﻡ, Ted Swedenburg
Force and Transitivity: Bayram Al-Tunisi and a Poetics of Anticolonialism / ﺑﻴﺮﻡ ﺍﻟﺘﻮﻧﺴﻲ ﻭﺑﻮﻳﻄﻴﻘﺎ ﻣﻨﺎﻫﻀﺔ ﺍﻻﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎﺭ, Marilyn Booth
The Image of the City: Wounded Beirut / ﺻﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ : ﺑﻴﺮﻭﺕ ﺍﻟﺠﺮﻳﺤﺔ, Mona Takieddin Amyuni
التصور الشعبي للجوع والشبع في بعض البلاد العربية / The Images of Hunger and Plenty in Some Arab Countries, Nadia Mohamed Abu-Zahra
قضية المرأة ومكانتها في سينما العالم الثالث / The Question of Women in the Cinema of the Third World, Moustafa Darwish
نجوجي واثيونجو : الأديب في معترك السياسة / Ngugi wa Thiong'o: Writers in Politics, Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Mahmoud Al-Batal
Submissions from 1986
Alexandria and the Writing of " Solomon's Folly " / ﺍﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ ﻭﻛﺘﺎﺑﺔ ﺭﻭﺍﻳﺔ ﻧﺰﻭﺓ ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ, Leslie Croxford
Distance and Reception: Islamic Literary History and the Western Reader / ﺍﻟﺒﻌﺪ ﻭﺍﻹﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎﻝ : ﺍﻟﺘﺎﺭﻳﺦ ﺍﻷﺩﺑﻲ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻣﻲ ﻭﺍﻟﻘﺎﺭﺉ ﺍﻟﻐﺮﺑﻲ, Michael Beard
D.W. Griffith's Poetics of Place and the Rural Ideal / ﺟﻤﺎﻟﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻜﺎﻥ ﻭﺍﻟﺮﻳﻒ ﺍﻟﻤﺜﺎﻟﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻓﻼﻡ ﺩ. ﻭ. ﺟﺮﻳﻔﻴﺚ, Alexander Doty
Mirrored Images: Rifā'ah al-Ṭahtāwī and the West (Introduction and Translation) / ﺻﻮﺭ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﻳﺎ : ﺭﻓﺎﻋﺔ ﺍﻟﻃﻬﻄﺎﻭﻱ ﻭﺍﻟﻐﺮﺏ ( ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ ﻭﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ, Sandra Naddaf
On the Poetics of Space ( Interview with S. Samar Damluji ) / ﺣﻮﻝ ﺟﻤﺎﻟﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻔﻀﺎﺀ (ﺣﻮﺍﺭ ﻣﻊ ﺳﻠﻤﻰ ﺳﻤﺮ ﺩﻣﻠﻮﺟﻲ, Hassan Fathy and Salma Samar Damluji
التشكيل المكاﻧﻲ وإنتاج المعنى : الصفحة الشعرية عند أمل دنقل / Spatial Structures and the Production of Meaning : Amal Dunqul's Poetic Page, Hazem Shehata and Amal Dunqul
الكيان والمكان / Being and Place, Muhamed Choukri
جماليات المكان ﻓﻲ مسرح صلاح عبد الصبور / The Poetics of Place in the Drama of Salāḥ 'Abd al-Sabūr, Medhat Al-Jayyar
ظرف المكان ﻓﻲ النحو العرﺑﻲ وطرق توظيفه ﻓﻲ الشعر / The Adverbs of Place in Arabic Grammar and Poetry, Ahmad Taher Hassanein
يورى لوتمان : مشكلة المكان ﺍﻟﻔﻨﻲ / Iouri Lotman: "Le problème de l'espace artistique", Ceza Kassem-Draz and Iouri Lotman
Submissions from 1985
Gérard de Nerval et le Rêve, Annonciateur de Mort / ﺟﻴﺮﺍﺭ ﺩﻱ ﻧﺮﭬﺎﻝ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﻠﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺬﺭ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻮﺕ, Dawlat El-Arab
In Principio Erat Verbum... The Mysticism of Marguerite Duras / ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﺀ ﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻤﺔ ... ﺃﻭ ﺻﻮﻓﻴﺔ ﻣﺎﺭﺟﺮﻳﺖ ﺩﻭﺭﺍ, Enright-Clark Doris
Stations of Wisdom and Battlefields of Love: Introduction and Translation / ﻧﺼﻮﺹ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ ﺍﻟﻘﺸﻴﺮﻳﺔ ﻭﺻﺎﺩ ﻣﻴﺪﺍﻥ ﻟﻌﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﻧﺼﺎﺭﻱ, Abū al-Qāsim Al-Qushayrī, Abdallāh Anṣārī, and Alan Godlas
The Feminine Element in Ibn 'Arabī's Mystical Philosophy / ﺍﻟﻌﻨﺼﺮ ﺍﻷﻧﺜﻮﻱ ﻓﻲ ﻓﻠﺴﻔﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻮﻑ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺍﺑﻦ ﻋﺮﺑﻲ, Huda Lutfi
Western and Eastern Themes in the Poetry of Yunus Emre / ﺍﻟﺜﻴﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻗﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺷﻌﺮ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ ﺇﻳﻤﺮﻳﻪ, Edouard Roditi
ﺍﻟﻮﻻﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﺒﻮﺓ " ﻋﻨﺪ ﻣﺤﻴﻲ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺑﻦ عرﺑﻲ : تحقيق ودراسة لنص لم يسبق نشره / " Sainthood and Prophecy " : A Study and Edition of an Epistolary Manuscript by Ibn 'Arabī, Mohi ElDin Ibn 'Arabī and Hamed Taher
رمز الخمر ﻓﻲ الشعر العرﺑﻲ القديم / The Symbol of Wine in Classical Arabic Poetry, Muhammad Ahmad Birairi
عمل الحب فى مديح المحبة" لسورين كيركجور / "The Work of Love in Praising Love" by Søren Kierkegaard, Fouad Kamel and Søren Kierkegaard
قصيدة " البردة " لكعب بن زهير ومكانتها ﻓﻲ التراث الصوﻓﻲ / The Impact of the Ode " al-Burda " on the Sufi Tradition, Ka'ib Bin Zuhair and Muhammad Al-Sayid Ibrahim
نجيب محفوظ والحل الصوﻓﻲ / Najīb Maḥfūẓ and the Sufi Way, Hamdi Sakkout
Submissions from 1984
Al-Jahiz on Translation / ﺍﻟﺠﺎﺣﻆ ﻭﻓﻦ ﺍﻟﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ, Sherman Jackson
Flaubert's Salammbô: Exotic Text and Inter Text / ﺍﻟﻧﺺ ﺍﻟﻼﻣﺄﻟﻮﻑ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻨﺎﺹ, Anne Mullen - Hohl
Looking for the Indian in Columbus Journal and Garcia Marquez's The Autumn of the Patriarch / ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪﻱ - ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻳﻮﻣﻴﺎﺕ ﻛﻮﻟﻤﺒﺲ ﻭﺧﺮﻳﻒ ﺍﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮﻙ ﻟﺠﺎﺭﺛﻴﺎ ﻣﺎﺭﻛﻴﺰ, José Hernán Córdova
Notes on Arabic Prosody / ﻣﻼﺣﻈﺎﺕ ﺣﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﻭﺽ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ, Roger Finch
On Criticism and Creativity / ﺍﻟﻧﻘﺪ ﻭﺍﻹﺑﺪﺍﻉ, Shukry Ayyad
Postmodernity and the Ancient near East / ﻣﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﺍﺛﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺸﺮﻕ ﺍﻷﺩﻧﻰ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻢ, John R. Maier and Parvin Ghassemi
Textual Relations and Encyclopaedic Order in the Work of Larousse / ﻋﻼﻗﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻨﺼﻮﺹ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻈﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﻣﻮﺳﻮﻋﻲ ﻋﻨﺪ ﻻﺭﻭﺱ, Magdi Wahba
التناص وإشاريات العمل الأدبي / Intertextuality and the Semiotics of the Literary Work, Sabry Hafez
اللغة بين الرؤية الحديثة والرؤية النيوكلاسيكية / Language and Vision: Modern and Neoclassical, Claude Audebert
المفارقة عند جيمز جويس واميل حبيبي / Irony in Joyce's Ulysses and Habibi's Pessoptimist, Samia Mehrez
جدلية التناص / Intertextual Dialectics, Gamal Al-Ghitany
Submissions from 1983
German Ghazals: An Experiment in Cross Cultural Literary Synthesis / ﺍﻟﻐﺰﻝ ﺍﻷﻟﻤﺎﻧﻲ : ﺗﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻻﻟﺘﺤﺎﻡ ﺍﻷﺩﺑﻲ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺛﻘﺎﻓﺘﻴﻦ, Charlotte el-Shabrawy
Ibn Hawqal in Sicily / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺣﻮﻗﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺻﻘﻠﻴﺔ, William Granara
On Translating Arabic Literature: An Interview with Denys Johnson-Davies / ﺣﻮﻝ ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ : ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ ﻣﻊ ﺩﻳﻨﻴﺲ ﺟﻮﻧﺴﻮﻥ - ﺩﻳﻔﻴﺰ, Denys Johnson-Davies and Ferial Ghazoul
The Maghrib and The Stranger / ﺍﻟﻤﻐﺮﺏ ﻭﺍﻟﻐﺮﻳﺐ, Barbara Harlow
The Other Way around: The Question of Travel in American Travel Writing / ﺃﺩﺏ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻼﺕ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ: ﺍﻟﻨﺤﻮ ﺍﻵﺧﺮ, Terry P. Caesar
المعجم الشعرﻱ والصراع بين الشعراء والنقاد العرب / The Poetical Lexicon in Arabic Tradition, Ahmad Taher Hassanein
اهتمام الغرب بالإسلام / Western Medieval Concern with Islam, Norman Daniel and Sami Badrawi
صانع الأسطورة: الطيب صالح / The Myth Maker: al-Tayyeb Saleh's The Wedding of Zein, Ahmad Shams al-Din Al-Haggagi
هل تكون القيمة الجمالية عالمية ؟ / Can There Be a Universal Aesthetic Value?, Jan Mukarovsky, Ceza Draz Kassem, and Abdel Ghaffar Makkawi
Submissions from 1982
Al-Jurjani's Theory of Discourse / ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮ ﺍﻟﺠﺮﺟﺎﻧﻲ: ﻣﻦ ﺩﻻﺋﻞ ﺍﻹﻋﺠﺎﺯ, Abd al-Qahir Al-Jurjani and Margaret Larkin
On the Ancients and the Moderns / ﺍﺑﻦ ﺭﺷﻴﻖ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺮﻭﺍﻧﻲ: ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻣﺎﺀ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺤﺪﺛﻮﻥ, Ibn Rashiq Al-Qayrawàni and Dustin Cowell
Ontological Concerns in 20th Century Writers / ﺍﻟﻘﻠﻖ ﺍﻷﻧﻄﻮﻟﻮﺟﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺍﻷﻭﺭﺑﻲ, Doris Enright-Clark Shoukri
The Poetic Page: A Semiological Study / ﺍﻟﺻﻔﺤﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮﻳﺔ: ﺩﺭﺍﺳﺔ ﺳﻤﻴﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ, Gérard Lapacherie
اتجاهان في التقييم الأدبي / Two Traditions of Literary Evaluation, E.D Hirsch and Nasr Rizq
الفن باعتباره تكنيكاً / Art as Technique, Viktor Shklovski, Abbas Al-Tunsi, and Hassan Al-Banna
أهمية النسخة الخاصة بعبد الرحمن شكري من ديوان أزهار الشر لبودلير / The Significance of Shukri's Reading of Baudelarire's Flowers of Evil, Abd Al Muhsin Badr
حوار مع إدوار الخراط يوم ٣ يناير ١٩٨٢ / Interview with Edward al-Kharrat, Sabri Hafiz
مدرسة " تاريخ الأشكال الأدبية / The School of " Form Criticism ", Hasan Hanafi
Submissions from 1981
A Last Attempt to Grasp Poetry: Notes on Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of Art / ﻣﺤﺎﻭﻟﺔ ﺃﺧﻴﺮﺓ ﻟﻔﻬﻢ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺮ: ﻣﻼﺣﻈﺎﺕ ﺣﻮﻝ ﻓﻠﺴﻔﺔ ﺍﻟﻔﻦ ﻋﻨﺪ ﻫﻴﺠﻞ, Steffen Stelzer
Avicenna On Style / ﻣﻔﻬﻮﻢ ﺍﻷﺳﻠﻮﺏ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺍﺑﻦ ﺳﻴﻨﺎ, Husain Haddawy
Jabra Jabra's Interpoetics: An Interview with Jabra Ibrahim Jabra / ﺍﻟﺮﺅﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ ﻋﻦ ﺟﺒﺮﺍ ﺟﺒﺮﺍ: ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ, Alaa Elgibali, Barbara Harlow, and Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
Style, Meaning and Ideology / ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻨﻰ ﻭﺍﻷﻳﺪﻳﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻷﺳﻠﻮﺏ, David Konstan
منطق الشعر / Poetic Logic, Gian Battista Vico and Muhammad Salama
ﺗﻄﻮّﺭ ﺍﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ ﺍﻷﺩﺑّﻴﺔ / The Evolution of Literary Theory, Tzvetan Todorov and Maha Galal Abou-Elala