Includes bibliographical references and index.

From classical Persian texts to modern Islamic newspapers, the 1,300 alphabetically organized entries in this work provide authoritative, up-to-date information on the major figures and trends in Arabic literature from the classical period through the twentieth century.

Contributed by internationally renowned experts in the field, the entries discuss the principal authors, works, genres, key terms, concepts and issues in the Arabic literary tradition and cover a broad geographical scope, including Africa, Arabia, Spain and Turkey. Special reference features include: -- extensive cross-references -- bibliographies at the end of each entry -- thorough index -- glossary of Arabic terms -- and much more.