Editorial preface; Map: the Middle East; The 'Abbasid caliphate: a historical introduction H. N. Kennedy; 1. Adab and the concept of belles-lettres S. A. Bonebakker; 2. Shu'ubiyyah in Arabic literature H. T. Norris; 3. Ibn Al-Muqaffa' and early 'Abbasid prose J. D. Latham; 4. Al-Jahiz C. Pellat; 5. Al-Sahib Ibn 'Abbad C. Pellat; 6. Abu Hayyah al-Tawhidi M. Berge; 7. Al-Hamadhani, al-Hariri and the maqamat genre A. F. L. Beeston; 8. Fables and legends H. T. Norris; 9. 'Abbasid poetry and its antecedents M. M. Badawi; 10. Hunting poetry (tardiyyat) R. Smith; 11. Political poetry R. Rabinacci; 12. Love poetry (ghazal) A. Hamori; 13. Wine poetry (khamriyyat) F. Harb; 14. Mystical poetry M. Lings; 15. Ascetic poetry (zuhdiyyat) A. Hamori; 16. Bashshar b. Burd, Abu l-Atahiyah and Abu Nuwas G. Schoeler; 17. Al-Mutanabbi A. Hamori; 18. Abu Firas al-Hamdani A. El Tayib; 19. Abu l- Ala al-Ma'arri 'A'Isha 'Abd Al-Raham; 20. Literary criticism K. Abu Deeb; 21. Ibn al-Mu'tazz and Kitab al-Badi' S. A. Bonebakker; 22. Regional literature: Egypt S. M. Ayyad; 23. Regional literature: the Yemen A. El-Shami; Bibliographies; Index.