Onleihe Book Club for the MENA Region

Dive into the diversity of Arabic and German‑language literature – conveniently from anywhere!
The new regional Onleihe Book Club of the Goethe‑Institut invites literature enthusiasts from across the MENA region to take part in a monthly online exchange.
Whether novels, short story collections, or poetry – our book club brings together emerging authors from the Arab world, German‑language literature in translation, and engaging live discussions with guests from the literary scene.

The Onleihe is the Goethe‑Institut’s free digital library.
Explore around 20,000 German‑language e‑books, audiobooks, learning materials, magazines, and newspapers, and enjoy films online.

>> Access the Onleihe

A book club for the entire region

• Online & every two months
• Open to all literature enthusiasts across the MENA region
• Sessions held in Arabic and English

A diverse programme

Fiction:
Each session focuses on a selected literary work, complemented by short readings or Q&A formats with authors or translators.

Poetry:
Together, we explore poems around overarching themes or spotlight individual poets.

Special editions:
From book‑fair specials to themed discussion formats – special highlights await you on a regular basis.

Why join?

• Discover new authors, voices, and perspectives from the region and from Germany
• Use the Onleihe as a flexible, free resource for contemporary literature in German and English
• Become part of a vibrant community of readers from different countries

Would you like to moderate a session?
Whether you’re a literature enthusiast, an author, a translator, or an experienced moderator – we welcome curious people from the region who would like to actively help shape the book club.

If you’re interested, get in touch – we look forward to your energy and ideas!

The book club will launch on 7 April 2026 with its first session.
Further information about the book selection, the programme, and registration will be announced soon.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at:
mena-bookclub@goethe.de