This course reviews the development of Arabic literature since the middle of the 19th century –the period of al-Nahḍah (the renaissance)- to the day. The review focuses on different literary genres, which the basic of them are narrative, poetry and drama. We shall discuss the sources of the Arabic literature at this period of time, and whether they are heritage-based or western sources. Moreover, we shall discuss the social and cultural factors that led to the renewal of this literature, and see new schools of literary theory that found their ways to modern Arabic literature. Through this course, we will be reading literary excerpts for well-known literary figures, and examine literature as reflection of the new literary writing. Furthermore, we will see that there is a noticeable western cultural effect on this modern Arabic literature, whether it is on its forms or on its contents.