A collection of medieval Arabic pulp fiction stories is finally translated into English for the first time. A trashy read, but sexy and deliciously fantastic. Meet orientalist scholar Robert Irwin, who oversaw the translation, and listen to selected readings from the original text.

Ep 4: Pets of Damascus

Executive producer and seasoned journalist Rasha Elass brings you stories from the Arab and Muslim world that you are unlikely to hear elsewhere. Guests include an Egyptian atheist preacher, a former political detainee in one of Syria's notorious prisons, and readings from a little known Arabic text that was written in medieval Islamic times in the 10th century.