Al-Jahiz: In Praise of Books

Shortlisted for The Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2017 Introduces the writings and ‘Abbasid-period textual world of Al-Jāhiz, the 'father of Arabic prose' Al-Jāhiz was a bibliomaniac, theologian, and spokesman for the political and cultural elite, a writer who lived, counselled and wrote in Iraq during the first century of the 'Abbasid caliphate. He advised, argued and rubbed shoulders with the major power brokers and leading religious and intellectual figures of his day, and crossed swords in debate