This Queer Arab Family
An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers
Edited by Elias Jahshan
About the Book
In Arab culture, tradition often dictates an individual’s role in a family, with personal desires subsumed in favour of unity. So, what happens when Queer Arabs challenge and re-imagine these expectations?
This Queer Arab Family celebrates the beauty of chosen kin and the everyday acts of care and survival that bind Queer Arabs to each other. Here, ten LGBTQ+ writers from across the Arab world and diaspora redefine what family looks like. From raising children with mum and mum, to becoming an OnlyFans star and building a non-binary belly dancing robot, these writers illuminate, through their own lived experiences, how queer joy and community can be found in the most unexpected places.
Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family honours the spirit of those who, despite challenges, build community and family on their own terms.
About the Contributors
Elias Jahshan (he/him) is a Palestinian-Lebanese journalist and writer. He is the editor of groundbreaking This Arab is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers (Saqi Books; 2022), which was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards in the USA, shortlisted for the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK, and has been translated into Italian and French. His short memoirs ‘Coming Out Palestinian’ was anthologised in Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity (ed. Randa Abdel-Fattah & Sara Saleh; Picador, 2019), while 'Bittersweet Memories of a Palestinian Knight' was anthologised in Ask the Night for a Dream: Palestinian Writing From the Diaspora (ed. Susan Muaddi Darraj; Palestine Writes Press, 2024). Elias is also a former editor of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running LGBTQ+ media outlet, and has been published in The Guardian, Gay Times, The New Arab, Raseef22, Shado Mag, My Kali, and more. Born and raised in Sydney, he now lives in London.
Reviews
‘A stunner of a book … Building on the success of This Arab is Queer, Jahshan has gathered yet another extraordinary collection of essays with new depths and wonderful lyrical writing.’ Danny Ramadan
'A vital addition to the landscape of Arab queer and trans literature. May this beautiful anthology open the way for many more to come.' Zeyn Joukhadar
'Jahshan once again convenes a chorus of voices that ricochet across distance and difference with tenderness and power. A celebration, a protest, a love letter, and a reminder that we are never alone. A vital, heart-filled collection.' Saleem Haddad
