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• Fiction from Iran

  Transformation

  The Neighbor

  by Goli Taraghi

  We have no choice but to obey.

• Fiction from Iran

  Transformation

  Encounter

  by Goli Taraghi

  I have a feeling that it is a mistake to go to the party at Mr. M.'s, especially under the circumstances.

• Graphic Nonfiction from Iran

  Transformation

  An Iranian Metamorphosis

  by Mana Neyestani

  Write why you drew that cartoon and why you chose a Turkish word.
  

• Poetry from Iran

  Transformation

  I Pity the Garden

  by Forugh Farrokhzad

  He carries his despair everywhere,

  just as he carries his birth certificate

  diary, napkin, lighter and pen.

• Nonfiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  A Year Among the Boat People, My People

  by Amir Ahmadi Arian

  What brings people together isn’t language. If anything, when times are hard, shared language can deepen divisions.

• Nonfiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  How to be a Woman in Tehran

  by Habibe Jafarian

  Any way you look at it, it’s this town that taught me to be ruthless.

• Fiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  Galileo

  by Aliyeh Ataei

  One wrong move and somebody was bound to shout, “Watch yourself! You’re in Iran now."

• Graphic Nonfiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  A Short Guide to Being the Perfect Political Refugee

  by Mana Neyestani

  This child has all the signs he'll have a promising future as a refugee. We should enroll him in French classes!

• Fiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  Ney Boulevard

  by Ghazal Mosadeq

  “So you’re suddenly so sensitive ever since you became gay?” she said.

• Nonfiction from Iran

  Leaving Home

  Hunger

  by Salar Abdoh

  The city is food.

  I was fifteen back then and always hungry.

• Poetry from Russia

  Money and Possessions

  Fragments from the Dollmaker's Life

  by Danila Davydov

  —What happens in your shop
  Why do you spend all night and day in there

• Fiction from Russia

  Money and Possessions

  Grandmother's Little Hut

  by Andrei Platonov

  My father left us for a fat woman. Mama said he fell in love with some other woman because she was fat, and then he went off with her to distant parts. 

• Poetry from Russia

  Money and Possessions

  Unity of Form

  by Regina Derieva

  I've always received
  kingly presents. I got
  worn-out pans
  and rusted teapots,
  patched up bedsheets
  and unstitched shirts,
  

• Poetry from Russia

  Leaving Home

  An Uncoincidence, A Noncoincidence

  by Larissa Miller

  Someone rushes to a house that's been moved away.

• Nonfiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  On the Moscow Metro and Being Gay

  by Dmitry Kuzmin

  It is therefore useless to say here: “I’m gay and I have rights.”

• Fiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  The Stone Guest

  by Hamid Ismailov

  "…the artistes, they can not to take part in big lyings."

• Poetry from Russia

  Leaving Home

  Soul, you are a street

  by Aleksey Porvin

  I am a paving block and slipperiness.

• Graphic Nonfiction from Russia

  Money and Possessions

  Slaves of Moscow

  by Victoria Lomasko

  “Why do the police not help us? Where do citizens turn when they have been deceived as we have? Does money really decide everything nowadays?”

• Fiction from Russia

  Transformation

  Arm Wrestling in Chebachinsk

  by Alexandr Chudakov

  "Think that's funny?" said Grandfather. "Think I've gone all weak? . . ."

• Nonfiction from Russia

  Transformation

  My Story of Chess

  by Shota Iatashvili

  And I wanted to play her so badly . . . I was just itching to play her . . . I had my stare ready . . .

• Fiction from Russia

  Transformation

  None of Your Business

  by Natalia Klyuchareva

  By the time Yurka went into middle school, the disgrace had definitely come untucked, like a dirty shirt.

• Fiction from Russia

  Transformation

  The Golem in the Mirror

  by Nadezhda Gorlova

  I followed the crazy old woman. It was my own dear grandmother.

• Fiction from Russia

  Transformation

  Milgrom

  by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
  It's May, it's the year nineteen hundred and something, a hot spring and there's nothing to wear.

• Fiction from Mexico

  Leaving Home

  The Gringo Champion

  by Aura Xilonen
  And to think I swore I’d stay out of trouble on this side of the world.

• Fiction from Mexico

  Mothers

  The Egyptian Tomb

  by Beatriz Espejo
  Every time she visited, she felt a crushing weariness, as though her entire life were caving in on her.

• Graphic Fiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  The Only True Guide to Russia: Hidden Secrets Revealed

  by Ilia Kitup

  Everyone who has never been to Russia is well aware of the fact . . .

• Fiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  The Bed

  by Vladimir Vertlib
  We made it into the country despite all the red tape and legal hurdles. If you believe in something strongly enough, it will come true.

• Fiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  Pears from Gudauty

  by Ludmila Ulitskaya
  The pears ran out at the same time as she ran out of peoples.

• Fiction from Russia

  Leaving Home

  A Dream in Polar Fog

  by Yuri Rytkheu

  “We believe that we live on the best land in the world. That’s the beauty, that no one wants it except for us . . . "

• Fiction from Russia

  Love Stories

  Petroleum Venus

  by Alexander Snegiryov

  You can’t in fairness say it is ugly, but something like that just doesn’t get called beautiful.

• Nonfiction from Russia

  Love Stories

  The Wondrous Deer of the Eternal Hunt

  by Svetlana Alexievich

  A Russian woman is prepared to suffer . . . But we're terrible dreamers . . .

• Poetry from Russia

  Love Stories

  "To kiss a forehead is to erase worry."

  by Marina Tsvetaeva

  I kiss your forehead.

• Fiction from Russia

  Love Stories

  Hello?

  by Dmitry Biriukov

  If we didn’t know love we would have withered and there would be plenty of room for everyone in the bus . . .

• Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  Once Upon a Swing

  by shinji ishii
  I once had a baby brother. An oh-so-very strange one at that.

• Graphic Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  Tetsu of the Yamanote Line

  by Osamu Tezuka
  Those fingers of yours were the lightest the Yamanote Line ever saw. Or have you lost your touch?

• Poetry from Japan

  Transformation

  Do Not Tremble

  by Hirata Toshiko

  I did not know that the earth
  Is an unruly cradle 

• Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  Narcissus

  by Dazai Osamu
  “People are going to laugh at you. Don’t go through with this.”

• Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  Face

  by Asa Nonami
  "Notice, please! Tell me that I’m beautiful!"

• Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  When My Wife Was A Shiitake

  by Kyoko Nakajima
  "If I could go back in time to another age, I think I’d choose to go back to the time when I was a shiitake."

• Fiction from Japan

  Transformation

  Metamorphosis

  by Fumiko Enchi

  "But remember, no matter how upset you feel, you mustn't lose your composure."

• Fiction from Japan

  Memories

  Stance Dots

  by Toshiyuki Horie

  “The sound of the pins. Listen when they’re bouncing around.”

• Fiction from Japan

  Memories

  The Memory

  by Mitsuyo Kakuta

  In the end, her beauty terrifies them.

• Poetry from Japan

  Memories

  Riverwilt

  by Nomura Kiwao

  Can I get across—Walk across?

• Nonfiction from Japan

  Memories

  Walking the Keihin Factory Belt with Stuart Dybek

  by Motoyuki Shibata
  "He wants you to join him.  To play baseball at the riverside."

• Graphic Nonfiction from Japan

  Leaving Home

  A Drifting Life

  by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
  That's what you get for drawing manga every day.

• Fiction from Japan

  Leaving Home

  The Last Picture Show

  by Ryu Murakami
  I’d never forgive that film for making a man like Tatsumi cry.

• Fiction from Japan

  Leaving Home

  The Farside

  by Hideo Furukawa
  “Hey, sister, you’ve got sharp eyes. It’s a natural talent.”

• Fiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  Compos Mentis

  by Kanji Hanawa
  The seat was wet because something had made it wet.

• Fiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  The Hole in the Garden, Part I

  by Sakumi Tayama
  Well, now that I had the pig I had no choice but to raise her as best I could.

• Nonfiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  Director's Notes on "Sway"

  by Nishikawa Miwa
  It would become a journey into human ambiguity and the frailty of human connections.

• Fiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  The Trapped Boy

  by Keiichiro Hirano
  My heart has bared a set of fangs and they’re gnawing away at my chest.

• Fiction from Japan

  Leaving Home

  Sentimental Education

  by Kaho Nakayama
  The woman gave birth to a baby girl at the maternity hospital and then disappeared the very same day.

• Fiction from Japan

  Love Stories

  Where Have All the Sundays Gone?

  by Mieko Kawakami
  How do you say "shock" in Japanese? 

• Fiction from Japan

  Love Stories

  Reunion

  by Ryuichiri Utsumi

  "She wants you out of her life. We'll look after the baby . . . "  

• Fiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  The Kiso Wayfarer

  by Okamoto Kido
  He’s a ghost. He definitely isn’t human.

• Fiction from Japan

  Love Stories

  Cavities and Kindness

  by Nao-Cola Yamazaki
  It was almost Christmas, I had a cavity, and I was in the process of getting dumped.

• Fiction from Japan

  Ghosts, Dreams, and Visions

  Spirit Summoning, Part I

  by Sakumi Tayama

  We weren’t just regular mediums, either—we were frauds.

• Nonfiction from Egypt

  Revolution

  The Egyptian Revolution Won’t be Fooled

  by Nawal El Saadawi
  We have learned from history that every revolution has enemies.
  

• Fiction from Mexico

  Leaving Home

  Dreams and Memories of a Common Man

  by Marcos Matías Alonso

  . . . our countrymen, who now wore disposable electric watches, used disposable clothing, and sometimes even disposable women.

• Poetry from Egypt

  Friendship

  Amina

  by Iman Mersal

  My perfect friend,
  why don't you leave now.
  

• Poetry from Egypt

  Revolution

  Sometimes Wisdom Possesses Me

  by Iman Mersal
  One day wisdom will possess me
  and I will not go to the party.

• Nonfiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  Prison Memoirs

  by Wang Dan

  "If you happen to be behind bars, you should keep talking . . . "

• Nonfiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  An Interview with Yan Lianke

  by Chenxin Jiang and Yan Lianke
  . . . the most chilling thing is the way we censor ourselves.
  

• Fiction from China

  Fathers

  Timid as a Mouse

  by Yu Hua
  "Those who are afraid of tigers, raise your hands."

• Graphic Fiction from Egypt

  Revolution

  Proud Beggars

  by Albert Cossery and Golo

  What does a man need to live? A bit of bread is enough. 

• Fiction from China

  Love Stories

  The Old Cicada

  by Can Xue
  “Who is the spider? Isn't it simply me . . . ?"

• Fiction from China

  Fathers

  Appendix

  by Yu Hua
  My father used to be a surgeon. He was strong and healthy, and talked in a resonant voice.

• Fiction from China

  Love Stories

  Appointment in K City

  by Li Xiao

  "I know all the tricks the likes of you will use to get your hands on a girl."
  

• Graphic Fiction from Egypt

  Friendship

  The Last of the Bunch

  by Migo Rolzz

  You're young and I don't want my feelings to get hurt! 

• Nonfiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  An Interview with Wu Wenjian

  by Liao Yiwu
  I was nobody, like a piece of sesame in a big pot of soup.

• Fiction from Egypt

  Friendship

  The Veiler of All Deeds

  by Hamdi Abu Golayyel

  When Abu Gamal revealed Shaykh Hasan's secret to the residents of Number 36 . . . 

• Fiction from China

  Love Stories

  Love’s Labor

  by Ye Mi
  "You noticed the way she came over, her chest out, eyes narrowed? She's interested."

• Nonfiction from Mexico

  Drug Wars

  Violence and Drug-Trafficking in Mexico

  by Juan Villoro

  In Mexico, people will pay up to $70,000 dollars for a license to hunt and kill a bighorn sheep. Killing a man is much cheaper . . . 

• Fiction from Egypt

  Mothers

  Mrs. Saniya's Holiday

  by Na’am al-Baz

  "Forget the admirer, Saniya. This guy will not take care of you."

• Nonfiction from Egypt

  Leaving Home

  Memories of Chernobyl

  by Mohamed Makhzangi

  The entire city began to wash itself ceaselessly . . . 
  

• Poetry from China

  Love Stories

  Poem to the Tune "Pure Peace"

  by Li Bai

  A cloud is her dress . . .  
  

• Nonfiction from Mexico

  Drug Wars

  The Mystery of the Parakeet, the Rooster, and the Nanny Goat

  by Fabrizio Mejía Madrid

  The parakeet is cocaine, the rooster is the marijuana and the nanny goat is an AK-47 assault rifle.

• Graphic Fiction from Egypt

  Leaving Home

  The Apartment in Bab el-Louk

  by Donia Maher and Ganzeer

  Outside your window, Cairo's nooks and crannies are lonely and forsaken, like a deserted crime scene.

• Fiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  Death Fugue

  by Sheng Keyi

  How could anyone separate love from lust, any more than one could separate the flavor of chocolate out of chocolate ice cream?
  

• Graphic Nonfiction from Egypt

  Revolution

  Two Million People in the Square

  by Magdy El Shafee

  We're the ones who overturned the riot police trucks.

• Nonfiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  This Country Must Break Apart

  by Liao Yiwu

  We are no longer poets; we have become witnesses of history.

• Fiction from Egypt

  Mothers

  It’s a Chick, Not a Dog

  by Jar al-Nabi al-Hilw

  My mother knew he was walking after her. Almost certainly she knew. Do you want me to tell you why?

• Nonfiction from China

  Taboo Topics

  The Story of a Homosexual: An Interview with Ni Dongxue

  by Liao Yiwu

  Just hold my hands tightly. I won't force you to kiss me or do anything.

• Poetry from China

  Love Stories

  Poems for Parting

  by Du Mu

  Too much love
  somehow became
  no love at all

• Poetry from Mexico

  Leaving Home

  Marías Mazahuas

  by Fausto Guadarrama López

  Where do you go, "Marías," where do you go?
  

  
  

• Poetry from Egypt

  Leaving Home

  Things Elude Me

  by Iman Mersal

  One day I will pass by
  the house that used to be my home . . .

• Graphic Fiction from Egypt

  Leaving Home

  The Pharaohs of Egypt

  by Florent Ruppert and Jérôme Mulot

  "This way over there, you stupid savage."

• Poetry from China

  Fathers

  Two or Three Things from the Past

  by Yu Jian

  He stood on the side watching everyone play . . . 

• Poetry from Mexico

  Drug Wars

  Sleepless Homeland

  by Carmen Boullosa

  Did we lose you in a game of dice? . . .

• Fiction from Egypt

  Leaving Home

  The Guest

  by Miral Al-Tahawy

  She undid the dirty belt from her waist so that he could look upon the body that was like a piece of smooth white cheese.

• Graphic Fiction from China

  Love Stories

  Sharing

  by Duncan Jepson and Xie Peng

  When I first came to the city, I watched the people fall in love.

• Fiction from Mexico

  Leaving Home

  A Failed Journey

  by Aura Estrada

  They warned her that one more offense against good behavior and the promised trip to the promised land (the United States) would be cancelled . . . 

• Poetry from Mexico

  Mothers

  Nothing Remains Empty

  by Juan Gregorio Regino

  There is a place in the Universe
  where the memory of time
  is recorded.
  

• Poetry from Mexico

  Drug Wars

  Notes on a Zombie Cataclysm

  by Luis Felipe Fabre

  Because things
  are turning weird: because they found
  just the arm . . . 

• Nonfiction from Mexico

  Mothers

  My Madre, Pure as Cumulous Clouds

  by Liza Bakewell

  "Madres are pure and perfect. In Mexico."

• Poetry from Mexico

  Mothers

  Purépecha Mother

  by Gilberto Jerónimo Mateo

  She is not a queen.
  Hungry, early in the morning she goes for firewood . . .