Queer books by Arab authors

 

Queer books by Arab authors

This is my second book post for Pride Month! I have a few more wonderful queer books to share with you, this time from LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈 Arab authors.

Below are 6 books from several different LGBTQIAPP+ Arab authors, in genres ranging from Non-Fiction, Poetry, Mythology Retellings, and Epic Fantasy, all with a diverse showcase of queer rep in their pages. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Presented in alphabetical order by author:

Homosexual Intifada: A Queer Palestinian anthology - edited by George Abraham & Hannah Moushabeck

Feat. LGBTQ+ representation, Non-Fiction

Summary: Homosexual Intifada is a powerful and groundbreaking anthology spotlighting the voices of queer Palestinian writers from both the diaspora and homeland.

This first-of-its-kind collection features a dynamic range of LGBTQ+ Palestinian perspectives through deeply personal essays, short stories, poetry, comics, photo essays, and memoir.

Contributors include celebrated and emerging queer Palestinian authors such as Noor Hindi, Mejdulene Bernard Shomali, Elias Jahshan, Randa Jarrar, and more.

Buy - Homosexual Intifada 

Add it on Goodreads


Next up, This Queer Arab Family: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers - edited by Elias Jahshan

Feat. LGBTQ+ representation, Non-Fiction

Summary: This Queer Arab Family celebrates the beauty of chosen kin and the everyday acts of care and survival that bind Queer Arabs to each other. Here, ten LGBTQ+ writers from across the Arab world and diaspora redefine what family looks like.

Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family honours the spirit of those who, despite challenges, build community and family on their own terms.

Buy - This Queer Arab Family

Add it on Goodreads 


Next up, The Slave-soldier Series by R. Laham

Fest. Pansexual and Bisexual representation

Summary: In the aftermath of the Manzakar Rebellion, the kingdom of Anzor teeters on the edge of social and political chaos. Tikran, Coxani and their fellow Manzakars must navigate a fractured society that still sees them as outsiders—even in freedom.

Manzakar, and its sequel, Freed Kingfisher, are the first two books in The Slave-soldier series - a high fantasy epic set in a West Asian inspired world with magic, and grass roots rebellion against tyranny. 

Buy - Manzakar 

Buy - Freed Kingfisher 

Add them on Goodreads


Next up, Inara: Light of Utopia: Anthology - edited by Yaffa As

Feat. Queer and Trans representation

Summary: Inara: Light of Utopia is a groundbreaking anthology that unites the voices of queer and trans Palestinians from around the world, each contributing to a vibrant mosaic set in a liberated Falasteen.

This collection melds poetry, short stories, essays, visual art, and photography into a singular vision of freedom, love, and belonging. Within its pages lies a reimagined world, where the streets of historic cities resonate with the joyous laughter of those long silenced. 

"Inara" is not just a book; it's a beacon of hope, a celebration of identity, and a defiant cry for freedom. 

Buy - Inara: Light of Utopia

Add it on Goodreads 


And in closing, Muneera and the Moon: Stories Inspired by Palestinian Folklore by Sonia Sulaiman

Feat. Ace Romance, Trans representation


Summary: In these stories inspired by Palestinian folklore, a daughter of darkness, a djinn, pours out her soul to the moon. 

Time travelers discover that the battle of Meggido was not quite what they expected. 

A prince meets his soulmate in the storyteller who can tell stories that are nothing but lies.

Buy - Muneera and the Moon 

Add it on Goodreads 


Hope you have enjoyed these book recs!

Special shout out to Sonia Sulaiman for your help with the recommendations on this list!


Why not diversify your bookshelf this Pride Month? Read a queer book by a LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈 Arab author!

And if you missed the first post feat. Queer SWANA books, you can read it here. 

Have a very happy Pride, and remember you are always valid!!🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🕊🍉🇵🇸 

 

Signing off,

C. Quince.


⬇️

Are you a LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Arab or SWANA/MENA writer? Do you have a book out, or are you working on one? Get in touch with me! I'd love to hear about your book!

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