アラブ女性の声を高める5つのインディペンデントパブリッシャー

“I’ve long understood the power of storytelling to cut through noise and awaken collective memory,” says Céline Semaan. The Lebanese-American designer, writer and advocate’s entire oeuvre – from her research to her art – is rooted in the belief that everything is political. Having been displaced from Lebanon to Canada as a child, a survivor of war and a refugee, this is something she experienced first hand at a young age. An enormous truism whittled down to three words, ‘Everything is Political’; at once a tagline – and the title of Semaan’s digital and print publication (EIP). 

EIP is an offshoot of something much larger: the Slow Factory, a non-profit working at the intersections of climate justice, human rights and cultural transformation for fairness and sustainability. Founded by Semaan in 2012, the Slow Factory has since grown (it has close to one million followers on Instagram) into one of the most recommended sources of information in the face of erasure and censorship. Informative, and never sanitised, the platform champions the notion that access to information enables collective liberation. 

September marks one year since the release of Semaan’s book, A Woman is a School, an urgent and intimate anthology of lived experiences under siege, spanning generations of displacement, resistance and survival, from Palestine to Lebanon. “The book is a call to action and a map for collective freedom, offering tools for dismantling oppressive systems while cultivating the cultural soil for new worlds to grow,” she says. “Also to the broader themes it holds: inherited trauma, the politics of liberation, the erasure of Arab women’s voices, and what it means to make art and truth in a time of systemic collapse.” 

A Woman is a School was shelved by her original publisher due to its focus, a turn of events that inspired Semaan to set up her own independent publishing house, Books for Collective Liberation, to ensure the book’s release. Since its publication, A Woman is a School has been taught in reading circles, quoted in protest art and embraced as a work of both testimony and transformation. 

“Independent publishing – especially by Arab women – is rare, political and vital in the face of growing censorship, anti-intellectualism and the rise of the far right in both the UK and the US,” Semaan says. “These are the same forces enabling the genocide we’re witnessing in real time.” As women’s voices are silenced across the world, Semaan strives to change that. Here, she shares five female Arab indie publishers who are writing, researching and printing to dismantle systemic oppression and amplify women’s voices. 

1. Al Hayya Magazine, Maya Moumneh 

“Maya Moumneh is a designer, publisher, and the brilliant force behind Al Hayya Magazine – a bilingual feminist publication (publishing in Arabic and English) that uplifts the voices, stories and visions of women across the SWANA region. Her work refuses erasure, centring intersectional, anti-racist and queer perspectives in print form at a time when physical space for these stories matters more than ever. Through Al Hayya, Maya is creating an archive of memory, resistance and imagination – a place where women’s realities live in our hands and carry into our futures.”

2. Saqi Books, Lynn Gaspard  

“Lynn Gaspard is the publisher and managing director of Saqi Books, an independent London-based publishing house with deep roots in championing bold, necessary voices from the Middle East and beyond. Under Gaspard’s leadership, Saqi continues to publish work that challenges dominant narratives, celebrates cultural complexity and bridges conversations across borders. Gaspard’s commitment to independent publishing is also a commitment to justice – ensuring that the stories, ideas, and histories that shape our world are told in their full depth and dignity. I recently read and would recommend Dalia Al-Dujaili’s exploration of belonging, Babylon, and Hala Alyan’s honest memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home.” 

3. Dar Onboz, Nadine Touma 

“Nadine Touma is the founder of Dar Onboz, an independent publishing house in Beirut, crafting books, films and songs that nourish the imagination. Touma’s work is a celebration of the Arabic language and storytelling – weaving poetry, folklore and contemporary narratives into vibrant works for children and adults alike. Touma’s work in stewarding our culture – preserving our native language and stories – is nothing short of a living archive, safeguarding our identity and deepening our connection to our ancestors. I’d recommend Handasat Al Hourouf Al Arabyya Al Moutaharrika/Architecture of the Arabic Letters in Motion, a bilingual book published by Dar Onboz for children and adults. Based on years of research by Hiba Farran and Touma, the book covers all the basics about Arabic letters through to the beauty of writing and structure.”

4. Jadaliyya, Noura Erakat

“It was in Beirut that I first met Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney, scholar and the co-founding editor of Jadaliyya. We were preparing to see a children’s play in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp and she told me about Jadaliyya, the publishing platform she co-founded to write, publish and act as an archive for essays on international law and politics in relation to the liberation of Palestine. Jadaliyya bridges the worlds of law, activism and storytelling, offering sharp, fearless analysis on Palestine, international law and the politics of liberation, publishing in Arabic, English and French. Erakat has helped create a space where critical thought from and about the Arab world can flourish beyond the constraints of mainstream narratives. Her voice is one of clarity and courage, reminding us that knowledge itself is a form of resistance, one that must be celebrated and amplified. She is a true gem in our collective movements for liberation.”

5. Isolarii

“While Isolarii is not run by Arab women, it continues to inspire me through its innovative approach to format – its pocket-sized books fit in the palm of your hand – and its commitment to layout, typography and design. The stories it focuses on are often those overlooked. I believe it truly elevates some of the most pressing narratives of our generation. My first Isolarri book was Hans Ulrich Obrist’s Ever Gaia, an introduction to the world-shaping life and work of James Lovelock which I would recommend. Isolarii and Slow Factory: Books for Collective Liberation are currently collaborating on an upcoming publication, which is very exciting.” 

Céline Semaan will be speaking about her book A Woman is a School, with a focus on designing possible futures, with the Design Council at Barbican Centre on 9 – 10 September 2025. 

“I’ve long understood the power of storytelling to cut through noise and awaken collective memory,” says Céline Semaan. The Lebanese-American designer, writer and advocate’s entire oeuvre – from her research to her art – is rooted in the belief that everything is political. Having been displaced from Lebanon to Canada as a child, a survivor of war and a refugee, this is something she experienced first hand at a young age. An enormous truism whittled down to three words, ‘Everything is Political’; at once a tagline – and the title of Semaan’s digital and print publication (EIP). 

EIP is an offshoot of something much larger: the Slow Factory, a non-profit working at the intersections of climate justice, human rights and cultural transformation for fairness and sustainability. Founded by Semaan in 2012, the Slow Factory has since grown (it has close to one million followers on Instagram) into one of the most recommended sources of information in the face of erasure and censorship. Informative, and never sanitised, the platform champions the notion that access to information enables collective liberation. 

September marks one year since the release of Semaan’s book, A Woman is a School, an urgent and intimate anthology of lived experiences under siege, spanning generations of displacement, resistance and survival, from Palestine to Lebanon. “The book is a call to action and a map for collective freedom, offering tools for dismantling oppressive systems while cultivating the cultural soil for new worlds to grow,” she says. “Also to the broader themes it holds: inherited trauma, the politics of liberation, the erasure of Arab women’s voices, and what it means to make art and truth in a time of systemic collapse.” 

A Woman is a School was shelved by her original publisher due to its focus, a turn of events that inspired Semaan to set up her own independent publishing house, Books for Collective Liberation, to ensure the book’s release. Since its publication, A Woman is a School has been taught in reading circles, quoted in protest art and embraced as a work of both testimony and transformation. 

“Independent publishing – especially by Arab women – is rare, political and vital in the face of growing censorship, anti-intellectualism and the rise of the far right in both the UK and the US,” Semaan says. “These are the same forces enabling the genocide we’re witnessing in real time.” As women’s voices are silenced across the world, Semaan strives to change that. Here, she shares five female Arab indie publishers who are writing, researching and printing to dismantle systemic oppression and amplify women’s voices. 

1. Al Hayya Magazine, Maya Moumneh 

“Maya Moumneh is a designer, publisher, and the brilliant force behind Al Hayya Magazine – a bilingual feminist publication (publishing in Arabic and English) that uplifts the voices, stories and visions of women across the SWANA region. Her work refuses erasure, centring intersectional, anti-racist and queer perspectives in print form at a time when physical space for these stories matters more than ever. Through Al Hayya, Maya is creating an archive of memory, resistance and imagination – a place where women’s realities live in our hands and carry into our futures.”

2. Saqi Books, Lynn Gaspard  

“Lynn Gaspard is the publisher and managing director of Saqi Books, an independent London-based publishing house with deep roots in championing bold, necessary voices from the Middle East and beyond. Under Gaspard’s leadership, Saqi continues to publish work that challenges dominant narratives, celebrates cultural complexity and bridges conversations across borders. Gaspard’s commitment to independent publishing is also a commitment to justice – ensuring that the stories, ideas, and histories that shape our world are told in their full depth and dignity. I recently read and would recommend Dalia Al-Dujaili’s exploration of belonging, Babylon, and Hala Alyan’s honest memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home.” 

3. Dar Onboz, Nadine Touma 

“Nadine Touma is the founder of Dar Onboz, an independent publishing house in Beirut, crafting books, films and songs that nourish the imagination. Touma’s work is a celebration of the Arabic language and storytelling – weaving poetry, folklore and contemporary narratives into vibrant works for children and adults alike. Touma’s work in stewarding our culture – preserving our native language and stories – is nothing short of a living archive, safeguarding our identity and deepening our connection to our ancestors. I’d recommend Handasat Al Hourouf Al Arabyya Al Moutaharrika/Architecture of the Arabic Letters in Motion, a bilingual book published by Dar Onboz for children and adults. Based on years of research by Hiba Farran and Touma, the book covers all the basics about Arabic letters through to the beauty of writing and structure.”

4. Jadaliyya, Noura Erakat

“It was in Beirut that I first met Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney, scholar and the co-founding editor of Jadaliyya. We were preparing to see a children’s play in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp and she told me about Jadaliyya, the publishing platform she co-founded to write, publish and act as an archive for essays on international law and politics in relation to the liberation of Palestine. Jadaliyya bridges the worlds of law, activism and storytelling, offering sharp, fearless analysis on Palestine, international law and the politics of liberation, publishing in Arabic, English and French. Erakat has helped create a space where critical thought from and about the Arab world can flourish beyond the constraints of mainstream narratives. Her voice is one of clarity and courage, reminding us that knowledge itself is a form of resistance, one that must be celebrated and amplified. She is a true gem in our collective movements for liberation.”

5. Isolarii

“While Isolarii is not run by Arab women, it continues to inspire me through its innovative approach to format – its pocket-sized books fit in the palm of your hand – and its commitment to layout, typography and design. The stories it focuses on are often those overlooked. I believe it truly elevates some of the most pressing narratives of our generation. My first Isolarri book was Hans Ulrich Obrist’s Ever Gaia, an introduction to the world-shaping life and work of James Lovelock which I would recommend. Isolarii and Slow Factory: Books for Collective Liberation are currently collaborating on an upcoming publication, which is very exciting.” 

Céline Semaan will be speaking about her book A Woman is a School, with a focus on designing possible futures, with the Design Council at Barbican Centre on 9 – 10 September 2025.