Marcel KurpershoekMarcel Kurpershoek is a specialist in the oral traditions and poetry of Arabia. He is the author of the five-volume Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, as well as several books on Middle Eastern history and culture. He is th editor and translator of Arabian Satire by Ḥmēdān al-Shwēʿir and Arabian Romantic by ʿAbdallāh ibn Sbayyil. He served as Netherlands ambassador to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Poland, and as special envoy to Syria until 2015. Read More Read Less