The Fiction Council • مجلس الخيال

Words can’t express how magical our time in Detroit was!

Our stop began at 27th Letter Books , where readers gathered with Ahmad Nabil , Liane Al Ghusain 🇵🇸🇰🇼 ليان الغصين, jenna hamed and Fatema Alhashemi . فاطمة الهاشمي for an evening of conversation that wandered through folklore, memory, spirituality, and the enduring power of storytelling. As a recurring theme of this tour, the room became a space where people connected the stories of Jerusalem’s jinn to their own cultural traditions, family histories, and encounters with the unseen. Our heartfelt thanks to Drew and the entire 27th Letter Books crew for welcoming us so generously and creating such a thoughtful space for these conversations to unfold.

The journey culminated at Mother of Pearl Studio with a beautiful garden gathering marking the launch of The Fiction Council mural. As the new moon emerged and the night settled into its darkest hour, friends old and new gathered around a bonfire to share jinn stories, food, laughter, and reflections beneath the stars. Painted by the talented Sultan Sign Co., the mural features TFC’s iconic Sadaniel سدن إيل—a guardian carrying a book in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, symbolizing the literary and artistic tools through which stories are preserved, renewed, and carried into the future. For one evening, it felt as though the jinn of Jerusalem had found a home in Detroit.

Our deepest thanks to Bree, Kevin, and the entire Mother of Pearl Studio community for their warmth, generosity, and care throughout our stay. Detroit embraced us with extraordinary hospitality, and we leave feeling grateful for every conversation, every story shared, and every new connection made.

As we continue with our tour along the East Coast, we carry Detroit’s spirit with us.

Ahmad Nabil, Fatema Alhashemi . فاطمة الهاشمي, and jenna hamed continue their journey across the U.S. for readings, conversations, and performances celebrating the launch of the English translation of Hidden Companions: Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem.

This Sunday June 14, as the new moon emerges, and on the darkest night of the month, Bree and Kevin of the local flower farm, Mother of Pearl Studio, will host an evening of frolicking in the garden, sharing jinn stories over a bonfire, and snacking on locally made eats to mark the launch of The Fiction Council mural!

The mural is of TFC’s logo featuring the iconic Sadaniel سدن إيل, whose name signifies the fusion of two elements: Sadan, derived from the Arabic sādin, the keeper of a sacred sanctuary; and Īl, a Semitic suffix reminiscent of angelic names, lending the creature an aura of antiquity and transcendence. In one hand, Sadaniel carries a book; in the other, a paintbrush. Together they signify the literary and artistic instruments through which TFC pursues its vision. They are at once the means of creation and the fruits of imagination; symbols of the enduring effort to preserve, renew, and carry forward the life of myth into the future.

This was graciously and skillfully painted by the talented Sultan Sign Co. on the side of Mother of Pearl Studio, to commemorate TFC founder, Ahmad Nabil’s time in Detroit, where he brought the jinn of Jerusalem with him!

This will be the final event in Detroit on the Hidden Companions 2026 U.S. Tour; which is free & open to the public. We’re so grateful to Bree, Kevin and their neighborhood crew for such being such warm and inviting hosts during our stay here.

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Photo credit: Mo Art Problems Studio

The next stop is… Baltimore!

How does one even begin to research the paranormal in a place like Jerusalem? What are the responsibilities one would hold? What existing mythologies and legends inform traditional forms of Palestinian storytelling? How are paranormal stories part of Palestine’s intangible heritage?
Leena Aboutaleb will be in conversation with Ahmad Nabil at Red Emma’s on June 17th at 7pm to discuss all these questions and more, marking launch of the English Translation of Hidden Companions, Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem. Translator Fatema Alhasemi will be in attendance to discuss her process of translating the book into english, alongside editor and facilitator, Jenna Hamed.

“Hidden Companions offers a comprehensive testimony of Palestinian magic, power of imagination, and extensive worldbuilding. It archives kaleidoscopic accounts of the realms of the unseen from 1948 to the present day. Enshrined in folk heritage, it presents an intimate and expansive depiction of the spirit world in Palestine.” – Sanabel Abdel Rahman

The book and special edition merch will be available at the event.

This past week, our journey through the U.S. continued, where each event brought us deeper into the ongoing discussion around Palestinian storytelling, memory, and cultural heritage. In Los Angeles at Jackson Market , Rolla Selbak (رولا سلباق) walked us through layers of memory, legends, and creative practice. came alive with randa jarrar in conversation with Ahmad Nabil, accompanied by animated readings from the book by adam elara (آدم) , Farah Marwan , and Dani Marzouca. At Village Well Books & Coffee , under the thoughtful guidance of our generous LA host Emily Rose D , we found spaces for mutual reflection, collective memory and reading.

In Chicago, we delved into the connections between jinn stories and spiritual practice with Ahmed Jitan at Pilsen Community Books, where a full room of eager listeners were making world-wide connections with their own cultural backgrounds and mystic beliefs. The Chicago leg culminated with Ahmad Nabil’s narrated sonic performance, “Mother, the Hyenas Are Tearing Into My Voice” at Solidarity Studios , hosted by Ahmad . Between LA and Chicago, each dialogue resonated deeply for all who participated and witnessed, making every stop a memorable step on our journey touring the English translation of Hidden Companions: Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem.

We eagerly anticipate what Detroit and the East Coast events will bring next!

Ahmad Nabil , Fatema and jenna hamed will be traveling to the following cities for upcoming readings and conversations:
June 12, 27th Letter Books in DETROIT with Liane Al Ghusain 🇵🇸🇰🇼 ليان الغصين at 7pm
June 16, Lost City Books in DC with Sabreen Taha | صابرين طه at 7pm
June 17, Red Emma's in BALTIMORE with leena aboutaleb at 7pm
June 21, Ulises in PHILLY with Mai Eltahir at 7pm

Hidden Companions: Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem is written by Ahmad Nabil, translated from the Arabic by Fatema , designed by , and co-published between مجلـس الخيـال in Jerusalem and Radix Printing & Publishing Cooperative in Brooklyn.

The book is available at events and bookstores near you.

The next stop is… Washington D.C.

Next Tuesday, June 16 at 7pm, join Palestinian storytellers Ahmad Nabil and Sabreen Taha for a conversation on the making of the recently published English translation of “Hidden Companions: Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem”.

Sabreen, who grew up in Jerusalem’s Old City, will guide Ahmad through an in-depth discussion on the process of documenting residents’ encounters with the beings from the Hidden Realms, also known as jinn. Also joining the event are the book’s translator, Fatema Alhashemi, and its editor and facilitator, Jenna Hamed who will share insights on the process of bringing this book to the English-speaking readers.

This is the fourth stop on a multi-city U.S. tour to promote the book and spread the word on this fascinating part of Palestine’s intangible heritage, co-presented with and .coop .

“Hidden Companions offers a comprehensive testimony of Palestinian magic, power of imagination, and extensive worldbuilding. It archives kaleidoscopic accounts of the realms of the unseen from 1948 to the present day. Enshrined in folk heritage, it presents an intimate and expansive depiction of the spirit world in Palestine.” – Sanabel Abdel Rahman

Copies of the book plus limited edition merchandise will be available for purchase at the event.

The next stop is… Detroit!

Join Ahmad Nabil and Liane Al Ghusain at on Friday, June 12, for a conversation on belief, the supernatural, and the ways Western skepticism and anthropological methodologies have often marginalized other ways of knowing. In a world where faith is frequently expected to be validated by science, Hidden Companions asks what it means to take stories of the unseen seriously. The testimonies collected in the book can be understood not only as accounts of paranormal encounters, but also as expressions of a collective worldview rooted in Jerusalem’s Old City, its histories, communities, and systems of belief.

Translator Fatema Alhashemi ( ) will discuss the process of bringing the book into English, while editor Jenna Hamed ( ) will share insights into publishing the project in the United States.

The event also celebrates the arrival in Detroit of the English translation of Hidden Companions: Paranormals from the Old City of Jerusalem by Ahmad Nabil, translated from the Arabic by Fatema Alhashemi.

Hidden Companions is a collection and archive of supernatural testimonies gathered from residents of Jerusalem’s Old City. Through stories of jinn, tricksters, and paranormal encounters, the book approaches these narratives not merely as folklore, but as living expressions of Palestinian intangible heritage and collective memory.

“Hidden Companions offers a comprehensive testimony of Palestinian magic, power of imagination, and extensive worldbuilding. It archives kaleidoscopic accounts of the realms of the unseen from 1948 to the present day. Enshrined in folk heritage, it presents an intimate and expansive depiction of the spirit world in Palestine.” — Sanabel Abdel Rahman

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

بداية فصل جديد!
مع اقتراب إصدار كتابنا "أنسُ الخفيّ: خوارق عظيمة من القدس القديمة" بنسخته الإنجليزية في مدينة نيويورك، نعدّ هذا إنجازًا نعتزّ به. لم يكن هذا العمل مجرد إصدار، بل جسرًا يحمل حكاياتنا من القدس إلى قرّاء جدد حول العالم، ويفتح بابًا لقصصنا؛ لتُروى بلغات ومساحات أوسع. وكان لدعمكم عبر حملة التمويل الجماعي الأولى الأثر الكبير في تحقيق ذلك.

واليوم، نكمل الطريق معًا…
💫 نحن في منتصف الطريق نحو هدفنا في حملتنا الثانية، ونعمل على استكماله خطوة بخطوة.
نستعد خلال الفترة القادمة لإطلاق جولة للكتاب في الولايات المتحدة ولندن، تشمل خمس مدن أمريكية إضافة إلى مدينة لندن، إلى جانب مواصلة برامجنا الثقافية في القدس وخارجها، والتي ستتضمن ورشات عمل، إصدارات جديدة، ولقاءات تفتح مساحات للخيال والسرد كجزء حيّ من موروثنا غير المادي.

في وقت تتراجع فيه المساحات الثقافية، نؤمن أن الحكاية ليست مجرد سرد، بل وسيلة للحفاظ على الذاكرة، وخلق مساحات للتعبير، وبناء جسور بين الناس عبر الحدود.

✨ إذا كانت هذه الفكرة تلامسكم، يمكنكم أن تكونوا جزءًا من هذه الرحلة.
دعمكم، سواء بالمساهمة، أو بمشاركة الحملة، أو حتى إعادة النشر، يساعد في استمرار هذا العمل ووصوله إلى أماكن جديدة.

معًا، نمنح حكاياتنا فرصة لتُروى…
ومعًا، نُبقي الخيال الفلسطيني حيًّا ✨

🔗 رابط الدعم:

Keep Palestinian Imagination Alive! UPDATE: April 2026

Join us for ‘The Rain Collectors’ a series of performances and workshops at historic water sites across Palestine from 1-4 August exploring our connection to water, through ecology, oral histories, and Palestinian legends, myths of water, sky and rain.

This project is presented in partnership between The Fiction Council • مجلس الخيال and Royal College of Art supported through Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform designed by Art Jameel and the British Council to increase support for cultural projects that meaningfully engage with the climate emergency in the MENA region.

We invite you to explore the full schedule of events and register on the link below

انضموا إلينا في "جامعو المطر"، سلسلة من العروض الفنية وورش العمل التي تُقام في مواقع مائية تاريخية في أنحاء فلسطين من 1 إلى 4 أغسطس، لاستكشاف علاقتنا بالماء من خلال علم البيئة، والتاريخ الشفهي، والأساطير والقصص الشعبية الفلسطينية عن الماء والسماء والمطر.
يُقدَّم هذا المشروع بالشراكة بين Fiction Council والكلية الملكية للفنون، وبدعم من منصة أنهار: الثقافة والمناخ، التي أطلقتها فن جميل والمجلس الثقافي البريطاني بهدف تعزيز دعم المشاريع الثقافية التي تتعامل بعمق مع أزمة المناخ في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا.
ندعوكم لاستكشاف البرنامج الكامل والتسجيل من خلال الرابط التالي:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_OwRMTWrlnAH97YNIVntszr_SY0W41vRNxMFEqeupG07AKQ/viewform?pli=1

⁨ ٠٠الافتتاح٠٠

مجلس الخيال يطلق النسخة الثالثة من موسم التمّوزيّة— موسم إحياء الأسطورة العربيّة تحت عنوان:

‏⊹ ࣪ 𖤣𖥧﹏𓊝﹏𖥧𖤣 ࣪⊹
عجـــائبُ الصيّـــد:
فـي البـــرّ والبحــر
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نصّ لـرغد الأنصاري

رأيتُ يا سامعي من الدنيا خيرها وشرها، ومن الأخلاق دنيئها ورفيعها ومن البلدان أعظمها وأسوأها وقد كُنتُ يا سامعي في حياتي صيادًا، وأعجبُ ما اصطدتُ كان أسهلُه وأصعبُه.. واجتمعت الصفتان في صيدٍ واحد! هذا يا رعاك الله بعد أن قادتني الأقدار والأرزاق إلى أطراف جبال طوروس والثغور الشامية، تركتُ الصيد آنذاك وصرتُ طاهيًا لجيش الملك الصالح يوم اشتعلت الحروب الصليبية.. وكنت آنذاك اصطادُ ما تيسّر لي من أرانب وماعز وغزلان أشويها وأطعم بها مصابين وجرحى وفرسانًا . وفي يومٍ هدأ به الوطيس ولم تعد الجيوش جوعى مثل ذي قبل، ذهبتُ رغم المخاطر أتسلى في الوديان والسهول وأعالي الجبال. هل سمعتَ يومًا بصيدٍ يسوق الصياد إليه؟ هذا ما حلَّ بي يوم كنتُ أطالع العصافير والأطيار، اجترّني تغريدُ عصفورٍ أو عزف ناي أو صوتُ نغّامةٍ عذب.. صرتُ كما السكران أهذي بحثًا عنه و وعلى نغمه مراقصًا الأشجار. حتى توقّف فجأة وأدركتُ مصيبتي.. ضعتُ ولا أدري ما المسار!

هبّت بعدها رياحٌ وصارت النغّامة تلك تبكي وتنوح بأسى جميل يشبه بمقام العُراق لحنَهُ اليائس الحزين، فزادت خيبتي ومصيبتي وجلستُ أذرفُ الدمع حزنًا، وكلما ازدادَ الصوتُ قربًا ازددتُ أنا همًا وغمًا.. حتى رفعتُ رأسي ورأيتُ ذاك الأيلَ الشامخ فوقي بعيونِ المها ولون الغزال وقرنٍ لم أرَ آخرُه من طوله يحدّقُ بي. حتى هدأ وقلّ صوته ثم رحل.. رحل تاركًا أمهر صائدٍ كان باستطاعته القبض عليه بكل سهولة، تركني في وجمةٍ حائرًا، رجعت للجُند مشتت الأمر والفكر. عُدت وظلّ بالي معلقًا بذلك الصوت الآسر. وظلّ ذاك الظبيُ محور أحاديثي وموضوعَ أحلامي. فعلمتُ أنه لا مفرّ منه إلا بصيده!

كان يوم نحسٍ يوم اصطدته، يومها سقطت القُدس في يد الفرنجة وما أن سمعنا الاخبار حتى سمعنا صوت نحيبٍ بديع.. فطر قلب كل من يسمعه، لكنني كنت الوحيد الذي سعد بنحيبه! بينما الناس يصيحون هبَبتُ أركض تجاه الصوت برُمحي غارسًا القطن في أذنيّ مقاومًا دموعي المنهمرة، والسمُ يقطر من رمحي حتى لا يضيع مني تارةً أخرى. رأيتُه شامخًا فوق تلةٍ ينظر لي. لم يُغنِني القطن من البكاء أثر نواحه البديع، كلما وددت الرمي اغرورقت عينايَ وتحرّك الظبي من مكانه! سئمت!! إما أنا انت ايها الظبي! وضعت القطن في جفوني كي لا أخطئ.. أصبته.

رجعتُ للجيش بعيونٍ محمرّة، وقرنِ ظبيٍ بستٍ وستين خُرم.

أنا صيّاد البرّ والبحار، قتلتُ الشادهوار.

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✎ العمل الفنّي: جمانة إسماعيل
رسّامة ومحرّكة من سوريا‪