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This article is also available in: Italiano

The Kitab project aims to provide a list of all publications in Italy related to the Islamic world * and its culture

The need

Ever since I started to approach the Islamic world I have found it quite difficult to find books related to these places in Italian bookstores; over time, thanks to projects such as Editoriaraba, the work of the publishing houses themselves and the advent of the internet, everything has been simplified, but some difficulties still remain: this is why the need for a project like this.

The project

I state that the work to be done will be very long and will require many steps that at the time I am writing I do not even imagine, but I decided to dedicate myself seriously precisely because it is something that is even more needed than the many articles I have already brought with the Middle East and Surroundings. The dream would be to one day create a real library that contains all the physical copies, but, in the absence of funds and special aid (always welcome, in case you write to mediorientedintorni@gmail.com), we will start with a list of all publications in Italian.

To simplify the work and also provide you with content on the site, we will proceed by publishing houses, selecting one a week and listing all their publications in the thematic catalog. You will be able to see, read and listen to the list that will be released both in article format and in podcast and video format. Those that will come out will mostly be lists of books that I don’t own and have never had the pleasure of reading yet, consequently I will not be able to express a real opinion but only a warm impression of the plot, which will always be present. If there was an author actually linked to this world but with a book that has no connection with it (ex. “Un fauteuil sur la Seine” by Amin Maalouf), he will be cited but no further space will be dedicated to him. The lists should come out once a week or Saturday or Sunday, the first publishing houses will be ADD editore and La nave di Teseo; at the moment there is no particular order in the choice of the publishing house.

I really hope that you like the project and that it can be something useful, I would like to be able to become for you that help I was looking for years ago for me.

*The list will follow the spirit of the site, consequently the concept of “Islamic world” will be as flexible as possible, also going to include peoples, authors and cultures that have nothing to do with faith and Islam; an example of this will be the presence, among others, of authors from countries linked to the Islamic world such as Ethiopia or of some books by writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Jorge Luis Borges and Paulo Coelho who, however, were inspired by this imagination, providing fascinating food for thought.

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