SWANA Authors

Palace Walk

By: Naguib Mahfouz

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Length: 21 hours 3 minutes

Abridged: No

Volume I of the masterful Cairo Trilogy. A national best-seller in both hardcover and paperback, it introduces the engrossing saga of a Muslim family in Cairo during Egypt's occupation by British forces in the early 1900s. Read more

The Pianist from Syria

By: Aeham Ahmad

Narrated by: Nezar Alderazi

Length: 10 hours 24 minutes

Abridged: No

This astonishing true story presents an “affecting viewpoint on life in Syria before and in the midst of extreme violence” (Booklist), offering a deeply personal and unique perspective on one of the most devastating refugee crises of this century.

Aeham Ahmad was born a second-generation refugee—the son of a blind violinist and carpenter who... Read more

Sword and Scimitar

By: Raymond Ibrahim

Narrated by: John McLain

Length: 14 hours 1 minute

Abridged: No

A sweeping history of the often-violent conflict between Islam and the West, shedding a revealing light on current hostilitiesThe West and Islam—the sword and scimitar—have clashed since the mid-seventh century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Roman emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad’s order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam,... Read more

The House of Wisdom

By: Jim al-Khalili

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hours 26 minutes

Abridged: No

A myth-shattering view of the medieval Islamic world’s myriad scientific innovations, which preceded—and enabled—the European RenaissanceThe Arabic legacy of science and philosophy has long been hidden from the West. British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili unveils that legacy to fascinating effect by returning to its roots in the hubs of Arab... Read more

Court of Lions

By: Somaiya Daud

Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri

Length: 9 hours 46 minutes

Abridged: No

"Narrator Rasha Zamamiri delivers an enchanting conclusion to a fantasy series immersed in Moroccan-inspired traditions that emotionally connect listeners to vivid characters with high stakes...Filled with political intrigue, this audiobook is hard to pause." -- AudioFile Magazine

Court of Lions is the long-awaited second and final... Read more

Our Women on the Ground

By: Zahra Hankir

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Length: 10 hours 51 minutes

Abridged: No

Nineteen Arab women journalists speak out about what it’s like to report on their changing homelands in this first-of-its-kind essay collection, with a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour

“A stirring, provocative and well-made new anthology . . . that rewrites the hoary rules of the foreign correspondent... Read more

Libretto for the Desert

By: Sona Van

Narrated by: Beata Pozniak

Length: 2 hours 18 minutes

Abridged: No

In A Libretto for the Desert, Sona Van’s subject is the Armenian genocide, also known as the Great Catastrophe. Van’s parents and grandparents were driven into exile due to this horrific event. Her poems reflect a personal connection to this history as well as the universality of loss, persecution, and intolerance. Read more

Arabs

By: Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

Length: 25 hours 33 minutes

Abridged: No

A riveting, comprehensive history of the Arab peoples and tribes that explores the role of language as a cultural touchstone This kaleidoscopic book covers almost three thousand years of Arab history and shines a light on the footloose Arab peoples and tribes who conquered lands and disseminated their language and culture over vast distances.... Read more

Beirut Hellfire Society

By: Rawi Hage

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Length: 7 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

On a ravaged street overlooking a cemetery in Beirut's Christian enclave, we meet an eccentric young man named Pavlov, the son of a local undertaker. When his father meets a sudden and untimely death, Pavlov is approached by a colorful member of the mysterious Hellfire Society—an anti-religious sect that, among many rebellious and often... Read more

We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders

By: Linda Sarsour

Narrated by: Linda Sarsour

Length: 7 hours 34 minutes

Abridged: No

Linda Sarsour, co-organizer of the Women’s March, shares an “unforgettable memoir” (Booklist) about how growing up Palestinian Muslim American, feminist, and empowered moved her to become a globally recognized activist on behalf of marginalized communities across the country.

On a chilly spring morning in Brooklyn, nineteen-year-old Linda Sarsour... Read more

Conditional Citizens

By: Laila Lalami

Narrated by: Laila Lalami

Length: 5 hours 48 minutes

Abridged: No

A New York Times Editors' Choice • Best Book of the Year: Time, NPR, Bookpage, L.A. Times

What does it mean to be American? In this starkly illuminating and impassioned book, Pulitzer Prize­­–finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of American... Read more

Cast Away

By: Naomi Shihab Nye

Narrated by: Naomi Shihab Nye

Length: 2 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

“Nye at her engaging, insightful best.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Acclaimed poet and Young People’s Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye shines a spotlight on the things we cast away, from plastic water bottles to those less fortunate, in this collection of more than eighty original and never-before-published poems. A deeply moving, sometimes... Read more

Girl Decoded

By: Rana el Kaliouby & Carol Colman

Narrated by: Rana el Kaliouby

Length: 11 hours 43 minutes

Abridged: No

In a captivating memoir, an Egyptian American visionary and scientist provides an intimate view of her personal transformation as she follows her calling—to humanize our technology and how we connect with one another.

LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • “A vivid coming-of-age story and a call to each of us to be more mindful and... Read more

We Free the Stars

By: Hafsah Faizal

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham & Steve West

Length: 17 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

The second audiobook in the Sands of Arawiya duology by the masterful Hafsah Faizal—the follow-up to the smash New York Times bestselling novel We Hunt the Flame.

Darkness surged in his veins. Power bled from her bones.

The battle on Sharr is over. The Arz has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep,... Read more

The Blood of Flowers

By: Anita Amirrezvani

Narrated by: Shohreh Aghdashloo

Length: 13 hours 16 minutes

Abridged: No

A sensuous and richly-imagined historical novel that centers on a skilled young carpet weaver, her arranged marriage, and her quest for self-determination in 17th-century Persia.

In 17th-century Iran, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. But when her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and... Read more

Things Left Unsaid

By: Sara Jafari

Narrated by: Honor Gilles & Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy

Length: 10 hours 41 minutes

Abridged: No

A dazzling, electrifying, and thought-provoking novel for listeners of Maame and Honey Girl, Things Left Unsaid is a mesmerizing and deeply felt exploration of discovering your place in the world and the lasting power of love.

When twenty-six year old Shirin Bayat bumps into Kian at a house party in London, she is taken aback by the immediate... Read more

Medusa of the Roses

By: Navid Sinaki

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

Length: 5 hours 54 minutes

Abridged: No

A bold, cinematic novel steeped in ancient Persian and Greek myths, exploring queerness, desire, and violence in modern day Tehran, Medusa of the Roses announces Navid Sinaki as a daring and unforgettable literary voice. Bursting with sex, vengeance, and betrayal, it follows Anjir, a morbid romantic and petty thief, whose boyfriend disappears... Read more

The Heart Sutra

By: Red Pine

Narrated by: Brian Arens

Length: 4 hours 43 minutes

Abridged: No

The Heart Sutra is Buddhism in a nutshell. It has had the most profound and wide-reaching influence of any text in Buddhism. This short text covers more of the Buddha’s teachings than any other scripture, and it does so without being superficial or hurried. Although the original author is unknown, he was clearly someone with a deep realization... Read more

The Diamond Sutra

By: Red Pine

Narrated by: Brian Arens

Length: 12 hours 46 minutes

Abridged: No

A masterful translation of the Diamond Sutra, an essential Zen Buddhist scripture—with insightful commentary and helpful historical context. Zen Buddhism is often said to be a practice of mind-to-mind transmission without reliance on texts --in fact, some great teachers forbid their students to read or write. But Buddhism has also inspired... Read more

The Gateless Gate

By: Koun Yamada

Narrated by: Brian Nishii

Length: 9 hours 41 minutes

Abridged: No

In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism’s uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen’s greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada’s clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role... Read more

Dreaming Reality

By: Vladimir Miskovic & Steven Jay Lynn

Narrated by: Lesa Lockford

Length: 14 hours

Abridged: No

A cutting-edge neuroscientist and a leading clinical psychologist look to religious, mystical, and mind-altering experiences to challenge scientific orthodoxies concerning consciousness. We are nothing but a pack of neurons, Francis Crick once said. Vladimir Miskovic and Steven Jay Lynn show that this way of thinking is both limited and an... Read more

Happy Relationships

By: Kimberly Brown

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

Length: 5 hours 52 minutes

Abridged: No

Happy relationships are possible—for everyone. Even if you’ve been married for twenty years and your routine is boring and stressful; although your mom has always been a help-resistant complainer; and despite the fact that your dearest friend moved across the country — all of us can create lasting and joyful connections with the people we care... Read more

Crescent - Abridged

By: Diana Abu-Jaber

Narrated by: Nike Doukas & Marcelo Tubert

Length: 8 hours 47 minutes

Abridged: Yes

An Arab-American Chocolat—a sensual blend of food, love and longing. Read more