The Graphic Novel Adaptation of a Modern Classic: A Multimodal Reading of al-Liṣṣ wa ʾl-kilāb

This paper examines the adaptation of classics of Arabic literature into graphic novels, a successful type of narrative in the global and regional publishing industries. Its aim is to chart the undergoing adaptation projects and to examine the graphic novel al-Liṣṣ wa ʾl-kilāb (The Thief and the Dogs, 2024), based on the famous novel by Naǧīb Maḥfūẓ (1911-2006), the first release within the broader Naguib Mahfouz Project. Before delving into the case study, this paper explores the potential of comics as a medium by applying the theoretical framework of multimodal and adaptation studies. These considerations are coupled with an overview of the Arab comics production at the beginning of the 2000s and after 2011. Then the relation between classics and the comic art is examined with reference to the contemporary Arab cultural production providing some insights about canonization, intersemiotic and interlinguistic translation, before making a list of classics turned into graphic books. Finally, al-Liṣṣ wa ʾl-kilāb is examined to understand the main adaptation techniques, the aesthetic choices, the publishers’ aims, and the resources available for new readers.