SALMA KHADRA JAYYUSI, Palestinian poet, critic, and scholar, is founder and director of PROTA (Project of Translation from Arabic). She is the editor of Modern Arabic Poetry, The Literature of Modern Arabia, Anthology of Modern Palestinian Literature, and The Legacy of Muslim Spain.Roger Allen is Professor of Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include The Arabic Novel: An Historical and Critical Introduction and Modern Arabic Literature.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction by M. M. BadawiThe Balalin Company of Jerusalem Darkness'Isam Mahfuz The China TreeMamduh 'Udwan That's Life'Izz al-Din al-Madani The Zanj Revolution'Abd al-'Aziz al-Srayii' The Bird Has FlownSa'dallah Wannus The King Is the KingWalid Ikhlasi The Straight PathYusuf al-'Ani The KeySalah 'Abd al-Sabur Night TravelerAlfred Farag 'Ali Janah al-Tabrizi and His Servant Quffa'Ali Salem The Comedy of Oedipus: You've Killed the BeastMahmud Diyab Strangers Don't Drink CoffeeNotes on Authors, Translators, and EditorsArabic Titles of Plays and Authors' Names Transliterated

"... extremely valuable." -- Comparative Drama "This essential collection captures the range of exciting new plays from the Arab world." -- Chicago Tribune "... a major contribution to World drama ..." -- Essays in Theatre/Etudes theatrales "A dynamically important asset for the study of theater and drama, modern literature, the Middle East, and comparative literature ... " -- Choice