Ben East

The new novel by the Pulitzer Prize finalist is set among the expat oil workers in Saudi Arabia in the 1960s - where she finds resonances with her own upbringing.

Want to get into a party but don't have an invite? A new translation of a 1,000-year-old Arabic text shows that not much has changed when it comes to gatecrashing

Sheela Gowda hopes her installation, which incorporates Indian tar drums, will secure her the lucrative Artes Mundi in Wales.

Larry Hagman captivated a nation decades ago portraying the villain JR Ewing on Dallas.

Maysoon Zayid i staking her show Funny Arabs to the UK. Here she talks of the difficulties of roles for disabled parts being given to able-bodied actors.

This week, Kevin Powers' story of a troubled American soldier in Iraq is in contention for America's National Book Award. We speak to the former gunner about finding a truth in fiction.

We speak to the Pakistani singer Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra's projects manager about a truly unique musical collaboration.

With his new book and exchange programme, the art collector Shafik Gabr uses 19th-century artists as examples for harbouring understanding.

The Lebanese artist's new installation at London's Nour Festival shines a timely light on the forgotten victims of conflict.

Samar Yazbek's book sheds needed light on her war-torn country. She talks to Ben East about her hopes for her nation.

We talk to the Pakistani artist Aisha Khalid, who is working on an international commission in Manchester, about why she is beconiong one of the most important cultural figures in her home country.

This week, the Nour Festival of Art opens in London, a two-month-long showcase of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers - even cooks - from the Middle East and North Africa.