This reader consists of the full Arabic text of 11 carefully chosen and very readable short stories by established Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian and Jordanian writers. The earliest story, written in 1929, is by the Egyptian Mahmud Tahir Lashin; the most recent by the Iraqi writer, Fuad al-Takarli, written in 1972. Each story has an introduction, in English, with biographical information about the author, placing him in his literary context, a description of the contents and a brief analysis of the story itself. In addition, each story is accompanied by a critical literary analysis. The aim of this collection is to encourage a literary appreciation of modern Arabic texts, and an understanding of some of the cultural conflicts reflected in the writings. This title includes writers such as Yusuf Idris, Idwar El Kharrat, Yahya Haqqi, Zakariyya Tamir and Ghalib Halasa. It is ideal for students of Arabic language and literature.