The Papercut: Recent Episodes
thepapercut
A literary podcast exploring literature around the world, with a focus on writing from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
February’s book of the month for the Papercut Book Club was a collection of essays called Trick Mirror: reflections on self-delusion by Jia Tolentino. In this episode, Fatma sits down with book club member Anup Sudevan to talk all about self-delusion in modern society in various iterations: social media, religion, scammers, weddings, and more. Shout out to Maria and Reem for making guest appearances by letting us call them up to weigh in on these topics as well!
Motherhood is the best, most awful job. In honour of Mother's Day, the theme of this episode is motherhood, with all its peaks and troughs. Host Fatma Makki sits down with her friend Victoria Cuthbert Al-Rawas, an avid reader and a mother of three, about all things maternal. First, they discuss a collection of essays compiled by writer Katherine May called The Best, Most Awful Job: Twenty writers talk honestly about motherhood. Later on, they talk about some of their favourite mother characters in fiction. Stay tuned for some great recommendations! This episode was edited and mixed by Abdullah Al Maawali, and produced in partnership with OmanFM. To find out more about The Papercut Club, visit us on Instagram or Tiktok @thepapercut.club, on Facebook (The Papercut Club) or our website www.thepapercut.club
This week we are all about the Muscat International Book Fair, which was hosted at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre from February 24 to March 5.
Host Fatma Makki gives the show’s producer Abdullah Al Maawali a recap of her time at the fair, as well as some interviews with visitors, booksellers, and a couple of other very special guests.
This week's episode is all about some of our favourite family sagas. Join host Fatma Makki as she shares her tips on how to learn about families in five different countries.
This episode was edited and mixed by Abdullah Al Maawali, and produced in partnership with Oman FM.
In this episode of The Papercut Club, host Fatma Makki seizes on a chance encounter with a bookstore owner in the making. They discuss the challenges and thrills of opening a bookstore - oh, and this one happens to be on a small tropical island in Panama, no less.
And of course, listen in for some recommendations of some of the best in fiction from around the world.
This episode was produced in partnership with Oman FM.
The podcast goes live on OmanFM for the first time! In the first part of this episode, host Fatma Makki is joined by two guests from the book club, Reem and Maria to discuss A Brief History of Seven Killings (including calls from two more book club members, Sora and Anup). In the second part, they explore some of the questions raised about reading habits, like how to make more time for reading.
This episode was produced by Abdullah Al Maawali in partnership with OmanFM.
Creative writing has been formalized and taught in structured creative writing workshops and MFA programs all over the world. The first formalized program was conceived in Iowa and has had a huge impact on the way creative writing is taught and consumed worldwide. In this episode, host Fatma Makki sits down with writer Ammar Al Naimi (@naimihero on IG/Twitter) to discuss the many valuable insights gleaned from Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses. . Books mentioned in this episode: Kalila wa Dumna Harry Potter series Northern Lights by Philip Pullman The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge Enid Blyton series The Famished Road by Ben Okri Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett 1,001 Nights
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This episode was produced in partnership with OmanFM. Find us on IG and Tiktok @thepapercut.club or visit our website at www.thepapercut.club
In our episode, host Fatma Makki spoke with Sara Al Lamki, founder of Seen Ceramics, about the modern home, and the theme of home in literature. We got to explore this theme in two different ways: one was through studying the Japanese philosophy of folk crafts, specifically the mingei movement championed by poet-philosopher Soetsu Yanagi in a collection of his essays titled THE BEAUTY OF EVERYDAY THINGS. Also discussed was the debut novel from Palestinian-American author Randa Jarrar, the semi-autobiographical A MAP OF HOME. What does home mean to a young person who is constantly being displaced from one country to another? You can (and in my opinion, should) find Sara on Instagram @seen.ceramics.
This episode was created in partnership with Oman FM. Follow us on @thepapercut.club on Instagram and Tiktok, and visit our website at www.thepapercut.club
Join host Fatma Makki in her new mental health-focused segment called 'Books on My Mind' as she speaks with counselor and psychotherapist Sura Al Muscati from the Oasis of Hope Counseling Centre, about the Oman Mental Health Book Club, which she founded three years ago. Learn more about Oasis of Hope Counseling Centre on their website www.oasisofhopeoman.com or check them out on Instagram @oasis_of_hope_counselling, or connect with Sura directly on Instagram @counsellorsura
Books mentioned: The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lorrie Gottlieb The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hayes The Road Less Traveled by Scott M Peck A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Setting Boundaries by Dr. Nedra Tawwab One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey The Sun And Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, by Wayne Dyer A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes Easy Ways to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr
The Papercut Club presents a guide to the independent libraries of Muscat. Join host Fatma Makki and producer Abdullah Al Maawali as they tour independent libraries around Muscat, and meet the women behind them. This episode was created in partnership with Oman FM. Follow us on @thepapercut.club on Instagram and Tiktok, and visit our website at www.thepapercut.club
In today's episode, we introduce a segment called Tangents, where I talk about books in general with friend and fellow book blogger Mehreen Shaikh (@theliteraturesnob2.0 on Instagram).
Check out my Instagram page @thepapercut.club for a full list of the books we discussed!
This episode was created in partnership with 90.4 Oman FM, with thanks to Abdullah Al Maawali for his mad editing skills.
We’re back with a new and improved season of The Papercut Club, this time in partnership with 90.4 Oman FM!
For our radio premiere, I sat with friends Ammar Al Naimi, Mehreen Shaikh and Rawiya Al Amri to discuss our 2022 reading resolutions. Later, I speak with local book club founder Anisha to find out more about her online community, Oman Book Lovers Club.
In this episode, I'm joined by Omani author Ammar Al Naimi to talk about his very exciting new project, his debut full-length novel, Sarim. In true Ammar style, this will be an urban fantasy set in Oman, and there will be plenty of adventure (really, a lot). Ammar reads an excerpt from his novel and we talk about it, and many other things besides.
Books referenced:
- The Famished Road by Ben Okri
- The Harry Potter Book Series by JK Rowling
- Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
- The Oman Encyclopedia (all volumes)
Co-host: Ammar Al Naimi
Instagram: @naimihero
Twitter: @ammar_al_naimi
This month we’re looking back at The Papercut’s most popular episode - or episodes - on The Greater Freedom by Alya Mooro (@alyamooro on Instagram). In January last year, I sat down with Dina Macki, the pomegranate-infused brains behind the delectable Instagram account @dinewithdina, to talk about this supremely relevant book, which I think continues to gain new relevance over time.
This month we’re looking back at The Papercut’s most popular episode - or episodes - on The Greater Freedom by Alya Mooro (@alyamooro on Instagram). In January last year, I sat down with Dina Macki, the pomegranate-infused brains behind the delectable Instagram account @dinewithdina, to talk about this supremely relevant book, which I think continues to gain new relevance over time.
In this special episode, Omani author Ammar Al Naimi reads one of his short stories from his first collection, Unoriginal Tales.
You can pick up a copy of his book on Amazon, and even borrow it for free from the Amazon library if you have a subscription! Otherwise, look for Ammar on social media and you can order the book directly from him!
Twitter: @ammar_alnaimi
Insta: @naimihero
Music: Epidemic Sound
Books mentioned in the episode:
- Celestial Bodies by Jokha Al Harthi
- The Famished Road by Ben Okri
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
In this second episode of #theNAPseries, aka the ‘Not A Problem’ series, I take a look at Sudan through the lens of the novel Telepathy by Dr Amir Tag Elsir.
Music: Farah Galby - The Scorpions & Abu Baker Live oud performance by Bashir Abbas.
In this first episode of my new series, #theNAPseries, aka the ‘Not A Problem’ series, I take a look at Iran through the lens of Iraj Pezeshkzad’s masterpiece, My Uncle Napoleon.
I talk to Sami Al Asmi for Oman English FM about all things books. These include my top tips on establishing a lasting reading habit, as well as a list of 10 books that will rekindle your love for reading.
If you know of any books that you think would go well on that list, please let us know on our Instagram @thepapercut.club or contact us through our website www.thepapercut.club
We talk about Man's Search for Meaning, a contemporary classic work of non-fiction by Viktor E. Frankl, with my co-host for this episode, Ghaniya Al Maawali. Books mentioned: A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle Zealot - Reza Aslan Podcasts mentioned: Oprah's Super Soul Sundays On Purpose with Jay Shetty Deliciously Ella Podcast 2 Dope Queens
Another one! Day two at the Emirates Literature Festival was action-packed and I recap everything that went down!
Authors and books mentioned: - Esi Edugyan, author of Washington Black - Clare Mackintosh, author of After the End - Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage - Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie - Lesley Hazleton, author of The First Muslim - Gelong Thubten, author of A Monk’s Guide To Happiness - HE Omar Saif Ghobash, author of Letters to a Young Muslim - Graeme Simson and Anne Buist, co-authors of Two Steps Forward - Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
It’s a bonus episode live from the 12th year of the Emirates Literature Festival! Listen in on a whistle-stop tour of my first day at this literary extravaganza, classic Dubai style. I sat in on wonderful sessions with Esi Edugyan, Fatima Bhutto and Jokha Al Harthi. Listen in for some of the highlights of those sessions!
Books mentioned:
- Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan
- New Kings of the World, by Fatima Bhutto
- Celestial Bodies, by Jokha Al Harthi
Part 2 of our discussion with Dina takes us to even more unfamiliar territory for the Middle East, starting off with why women choose to remove their hijabs and somehow end up talking about gay marriage, trans acceptance in the region, and so much more...
Books referenced: 1. The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu 2. Dead Girls by Abigail Tarttelin
In our first episode of the decade, we’re talking to chef/hustler extraordinaire Dina Macki about the much-anticipated debut by Alya Mooro, “The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes”. And we had so much to say we couldn’t possibly fit it into one episode, so expect a follow up. In this segment, we talk about growing up brown, the “invisible jury” and the struggle of living that in between life. Production assistant: Samantha Petty
In episode 2, I'm joined by my good friend Mohammed (who also goes by Tiggs) to talk about Golden Years by Ali Eskandarian. The novel, which drew heavily from Ali's real life experience as an Iranian-American punk rocker in a band called the Yellow Dogs, has been billed as the 'great Iranian punk beat novel'.
This book was picked as part of the effort to join the #2BooksUnder50Reviews started by bookstagrammer @reggiereads over on Instagram. Check out his page and the hashtag especially if you're interested in expanding your reading taste.
Ali and two of his bandmates, Arash and Soroush, were tragically killed in a shooting in their Brooklyn apartment in November 2013.
Books mentioned:
- On the Road - Jack Kerouac; 2. Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller 3. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk; 4. Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk 5. The Spirit of Science Fiction, Roberto Bolaño
Films mentioned: 1. No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) 2. Kill Your Darlings (2013)
All the music you hear on this episode is from a 2012 live performance of the Yellow Dogs: 1. Get Used To It; 2. Dancefloor Rules Forever; 3. Dragon Flower
Vocal Mixes: WassupNile
Production Assistant: Samantha Petty
In my first episode of The Papercut, I discuss the award-winning novel Celestial Bodies by Omani author Jokha Al Harthi.
I spoke with the book's editor, Kay Farrell, from Sandstone Press, who was generous enough to talk to me about how this book fell into their hands and the process of getting it published. She also touches on some other exciting projects of Sandstone Press.
Enjoy the show!
Click here for a full transcript of this episode: [link]