"Gamila" means "pleasant", "good" or "noble" in Arabic, and that is how the publishing program should be: intellectually good and high-quality, while also being enjoyable to read.
History
Gamila was founded by Sophie Haesen in Basel in 2021. In August 2022, the first book, the translation of André Léo's "Coupons le câble!" ("Schneiden wir das Seil durch!") into German, was published in paperback and as an e-book. This was followed in spring 2024 by "The Last Days of Granada", the first English translation of an Arabic text from the 15th century, written by an unknown eyewitness, which describes the end of Muslim rule over Andalusia. Furthermore, the German first translation of "Die Frau und Sex" by Egyptian writer and human rights activist Nawal El Saadawi (1931 - 2021) from Arabic is planned for 2024.
Program
Gamila’s primary aim is to save unjustly overlooked works from oblivion and to make them accessible to a wider audience through first and new translations into German and English. In principle, we do not set ourselves any limits in our program, but we are interested in the following thematic focuses:
Medicine and History of Medicine
The medical history of antiquity and the Middle Ages is still valuable today in order to understand medical progress: Examining medical practices and beliefs from ancient times and the Middle Ages shows how medicine has evolved over time, from ancient remedies to modern evidence-based medicine.
Cultural and social factors such as religion, superstition, and societal norms in medical practice provide context for historical healing approaches and practices that are now considered outdated. Ancient healers and physicians also developed innovative treatments and surgical techniques, and we can see how earlier practitioners solved medical challenges with the resources available to them.
Medical knowledge was often exchanged between different cultures and regions through trade, conquest, and migration. Medical history allows us to trace the transmission of medical knowledge and practices across the boundaries of civilizations.
Even in the 21st century, important works of medical history are still not available in German. For example, the Basel physician Felix Platter, a pioneer of medicine, wrote not only case studies but also anatomical and therapeutic works that have so far only been preserved in Latin.
Switzerland
The view of Switzerland from abroad interests us as much as the experiences that Swiss people have had in foreign countries. Even though Switzerland is generally idealized as a model country, there are also unpopular topics that deserve to be examined more closely. One of them is the placement of children in foster care, which was socially accepted without criticism until the mid-20th century. Other dark aspects of Switzerland's past should also not be swept under the rug.
Orient
Little-known historical writings on the history of the region, which has long been summarized as the "Orient," can change our perspective on history and relativize the Eurocentric view. Also, historical writings on Arab and Persian medicine that have been barely known deserve to be brought out of obscurity. However, we do not only want to publish medical history writings, but also take a general and unbiased look at the Near and Middle East here and now. An important aspect here is the concept of "Sumud" - which means steadfastness or resilience and is a specifically Palestinian form of nonviolent resistance. But also, feminist writings of the Egyptian doctor Nawal El Saadawi deserve to be presented to a German-speaking audience.
Contact
gamilabasel(at)gmail.com
Impressum
Gamila Verlag und Beratung
Inhaberin Frau Sophie Haesen
Einzelfirma
Handelsregister-Nr.: CH-270.1.020.032-0
Hammerstrasse 36
4058 Basel
Webdesign: Enso Aellig, 2024