Starting from the social and cultural rebirth movement (nahḍah), started in the early decades of the nineteenth century, the course includes the analysis of the emergence and development of the literary genres of the Arab tale and novel. The major exponents of the literary and cultural life of the time in Egypt, in the Syrian-Lebanese area and in the Maghreb will be studied. We will analyze the predominant poetic currents and the main issues addressed in the context of the cultural debate then in vogue, such as the quarrel between traditionalists and modernists; between conservatism and secularism; the emancipation of women. Finally, some hints will be made on the birth and development of Arab theater.
The program also includes the analysis of some extracts in Arabic that are an integral part of the Arabic Literature II exam.
Each student must have read at least a novel (or collection of short stories or poems) of their choice, translated from Arabic into Italian. For the selection of Arabic works available in Italian, please refer to the website www.arablit.it.

Texts in Arabic and further bibliographical updates will be provided during the lectures.