Reflections: (English edition)
by Ahdaf Soueif

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, houses manuscripts, textiles, ceramics and other works from the seventh century to the present day, and is one of the world’s most encyclopedic collections of Islamic art. The origin of its artifacts ranges from Spain to Egypt to Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India and Central Asia. Reflections, edited by British-Egyptian novelist and critic Ahdaf Soueif, showcases these works, and creates a work of art in itself. More than twenty writers and thinkers from around the world, including Adam Foulds, Kamila Shamsie, Suad Amiry, and Pankaj Mishra, have taken works in the museum’s collection and used them to launch essays, poems, and other pieces which allow the reader to explore 14 centuries of Islamic art and culture. Luxuriously designed to reference traditions of Islamic art and book design, as well as the landmark MIA building designed by I.M. Pei, Reflections is illustrated with photographs of the pieces the writers have chosen as their inspiration. Contributors include: Adam Foulds Anton Shammas Eric Hobsbawm Ghassan Zaqtan Jabbour al-Douaihy James Fenton Jim Khalili Kamila Shamsie Marcus du Sautoy Najwa Barakat Nasser Rabbat Oliver Watson Pankaj Mishra Philip Hensher Radwa Ashour Raja Shehadeh Riz Ahmed Sarah Maguire Shirin Neshat Slavoj Zizek Sonia Jabbar Suad Amiry Tash Aw Youssef Rakha