Youssef Rakha is the author of seven books in Arabic. His fiction, criticism, and journalism have appeared widely, including in the New York Times, McSweeney’s, the Kenyon Review, and the Atlantic. His novel The Crocodiles is also forthcoming in English. Paul Starkey served as head of the Arabic department at Durham University, UK, and a co-director of the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, until his recent retirement. His translations include works by Adania Shibli, Mansoura Ez Eldin, and Edwar al-Kharrat.