The Saudi Gazette reported this week that sales of nonfiction (or “works of an intellectual bent”) beat out fiction at this year’s Riyadh book fair, which ran March 1-11.
Saudi 
Should There Be Quotas for Women in Saudi Book Clubs?
Al-Khamees, whose The Leafy Tree was longlisted for the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), said that Saudi women’s participation in literary clubs should be supported with specific membership quotas, according to ArabNews.
A Primer on Saudi Lit, Abdulrahman Munif to Present
In the most recent Qantara, journalist Fakhri Saleh gives the landscape of Saudi literature, arguing that its recent blossoming can be attributed to 9/11. In any case, names you should know:
Jobless Arabic Teachers in Saudi Stage Protest
Hundreds of Arabic language teachers gathered this past Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in front of the Riyadh Ministry of Education building demanding jobs, according to ArabNews. Some protesters apparently were taken to a nearby hospital after suffering… Read More ›
Saudi Poet, Novelist and Reformer Ghazi Al-Gosaibi Dies
In 2008, the blogger Saudiwoman called Ghazi Al-Gosaibi—who died at the age of 70 in a Riyadh hospital Sunday—“one of the shiniest stars in the Saudi sky.” Well-known for his novels, poems, and his government reforms, al-Gosaibi made waves worldwide…. Read More ›
Where Do You Read Adonis’s Favorite Saudi Poetess?
I that I’m often annoyed by Adonis’ political and literary chatter (I think he might have contracted the Martin Amis disease), so I only glanced sideways at this and this. However, I did notice that one of Adonis’s favorite poetesses… Read More ›
The New Saudi Novel (Again): Rebellious Pamphlet or Artistic Revolution?
Yesterday, the AFP published a new look at shifts in the Saudi literary landscape. Yes, we know that Saudi novels of the last five years are talking about sex and money in shockingly frank ways. Yes, we know that many… Read More ›
Three Saudi Women Writers Make ‘Top 10′ Lists
The National yesterday ran a list of “the region’s women to watch,” which includes a jet pilot and a TV producer and one writer: Hissa Hilal. The Abu Dhabi-based paper still referred to Hilal as a housewife (my pet peeve,… Read More ›
The ‘Tyranny of Sex’ in the Saudi Novel
Al Jazeera reports that the cultural pages of Gulf newspapers are brimming with talk about sex. Or, rather, they’re brimming with talk about talk about sex. This is because sex has been a growing phenomenon in Saudi literature. Earlier this… Read More ›
Guardian Blog Calls for Reading Revolution in Saudi Arabia, I Mean Arab World, I Mean Saudi…
There are lots of things that irritate me: the plastic wrap publishers put on their books here in Cairo so that I can’t thumb through the first few pages; sloppy, careless translations and sloppy, careless print runs; the surfeit of… Read More ›
How Do You Learn to Write About (Saudi) Women?
If you’re Youssef al Mohaimeed, author of Munira’s Bottle and Wolves of the Crescent Moon, this: I worked hard to teach myself. I have read many psychology books about women. I also visited shops to discover the differences between various… Read More ›
Is Hissa Hilal’s Poetry Good (and by What Standards)?
Applause for Hissa Hilal was heard ’round the world after her most recent Million’s Poet performance. Her fatwa-criticizing poem, a rough translation of which originally appeared in The National, became instantly popular. Perhaps not as many blogged about Hilal as… Read More ›
