The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature

The final volume of The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature explores the Arabic literary heritage of the little-known period from the twelfth to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Even though it was during this time that the famous Thousand and One Nights was composed, very little has been written on the literature of the period generally. In this volume Roger Allen and Donald Richards bring together some of the most distinguished scholars in the field to rectify the situation. The volume is divided into parts with the traditions of poetry and prose covered separately within both their \'elite\' and \'popular\' contexts. The last two sections are devoted to drama and the indigenous tradition of literary criticism. As the only work of its kind in English covering the post-classical period, this book promises to be a unique resource for students and scholars of Arabic literature for many years to come.

• A fascinating account of one of the most neglected periods in Arabic literary history • By a international team of leading experts • A unique resource for scholars and students for years to come

The Post-Classical Period: Parameters and Preliminaries Roger Allen; Part I. Elite Poetry: 1. Arabic poetry in the post-classical age Salma Khadra Jayyusi; 2. Poetic creativity in the sixteenth-eighteenth centuries Lutfi Al-Yousfi; 3. Arabic religious poetry, 1200-1800 Th. Emil Homerin; 4. The role of the pre-modern: the generic characteristics of the band Abdallah Ibrahim; Part II. Elite Prose: 5. Pre-modern belletrist prose Muhsin Al-Musawi; 6. The essay and debate (al-ris*la, al-mun*zara) Jaakko Hameen-Anttilla; 7. The maq*ma Devin Stewart; 8. Mamluk history and historians Robert Irwin; 9. Historiography in Arabic during the Ottoman period Michael Winter; Part III. Popular Poetry: 10. Popular poetry in the post-classical period, 1150–1850 A.D. Margaret Larkin; Part IV. Popular Prose: 11. Popular prose in the post-classical period Dwight Reynolds; 12. A Thousand and One Nights: a history of the text and its reception Dwight Reynolds; 13. s*rat ‘antar ibn shadd*d Remke Kruk; 14. S*rat Ban* Hil*l Dwight Reynolds; 15. Other s*ras and popular narratives Peter Heath; 16. Popular religious narratives Kamal Abdel-Malek; Part V. Drama: 17. Drama in the post-classical period: a survey Rosella Dorigo; 18. pre-modern drama Philip Sadgrove; Part VI. Criticism: 19. Criticism in the post-classical period: a survey William Smyth.