Baghdad Noir marks a significant entry in the Akashic Books Noir Series, edited by Samuel Shimon and featuring a diverse range of Iraqi authors. This collection not only highlights the relatively recent emergence of novel writing in Iraq, with its first modern novel published in 1928, but also showcases a novel approach to crime fiction in the Arab world. Shimon's introduction notes the unique challenges of commissioning stories that conform to specific themes and lengths, pointing to the evolution of literary practices in Iraq. The contributing authors bring rich perspectives from their varied experiences within Baghdad.
In the Arab world we are not fully accustomed to the concept of commissioning stories around a specific theme or of a specific length then working with the author on revisions... which posed some challenges.
Shimon notes that Baghdad Noir is the first such collection that he's aware of, highlighting the novel-writing tradition in Iraq which began as recently as 1928.
Baghdad Noir editors Tim McLoughlin and Johnny Temple successfully navigate the complexities of commissioning stories from a country with a budding literary tradition.
The assembled authors in Baghdad Noir, including notable figures like Salar Abdoh and Dr. Hayet Raies, bring diverse perspectives that reflect contemporary Iraq.
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