2023-11-11 17:14:51
Gulf novelists have confirmed that the Gulf narrative focuses strongly on the aesthetics of the place in its various historical developments, and that Gulf literary production has witnessed a remarkable development that has contributed to its strong presence at the Arab level, and that there are pioneering Gulf experiences that have contributed to the production of novels in international languages that exported the culture and literature of the region to the world.
This came in a dialogue session entitled “Aesthetics of Gulf Narrative,” during which the Sharjah International Book Fair 2023 hosted the Bahraini writer and thinker, Dr. Hassan Madan, the Saudi novelist, Amina Habib Al-Mudhahi, and the Kuwaiti writer, Dr. Mai Al-Naqeeb, and was moderated by writer Walid Al-Marzouqi.
The aesthetics of the place
Regarding place in the Gulf narrative, Dr. Hassan Madan stressed that the Gulf narrative paid attention to the aesthetics of the place, its details, and its topography, and focused on how place affects the behavior of societies and people residing in these environments, whether in a pre-oil phase or subsequent transformations in the structure of these cities, while stopping at their topography. Social.
He said: “Anyone who follows the creative scene in the Arab Gulf countries will notice that narration came later compared to poetry, which was the backbone of Gulf literary memory in the past centuries until the first decade of the twentieth century, and this shift towards writing stories did not begin until the mid-fifties in his first experiences.” ».
He added: “The Gulf narrative is strongly present in the Arab narrative and cultural scene, and this is evidenced by the awards that Gulf novels from various countries of the region win and qualify for their final stages, and these awards draw attention to Gulf creators and to important works in the Arab Gulf region.”
levels
In turn, Amina Habib Al-Mudhahi said: “Researchers believe that the Saudi novel went through four stages: the nascent stage, which was characterized by a lack of production, the establishment stage was in 1959, while the launch stage was in the eighties, with the development of the economic situation, and one of its characteristics was the publication of a greater number From novels and the emergence of new names, and during the period of transformations in the nineties, academic names appeared, but the turning point came following 2001, which was known as the tsunami of the Saudi novel.”
She added: “Young novelists have a unique opportunity to update the rules of the game in the world of novels and literary narration, as wide fields are expanding before them in crime literature, history, heritage, and others, and they can exploit this opportunity by bringing in historical figures to enhance their stories, and we see great experiences characterized by mystery and depth in mysticism.” And history and heritage, although they are young experiences, they are creative in creating events that rely on diversity to produce creative works of art, and in this context, the influence of international literatures, cultures, and modern technologies on the Gulf novel appears.”
stories
For her part, Dr. Mai Al-Naqeeb indicated that the literary product in the Arabian Gulf region has witnessed a remarkable rise linked to several economic, social and cultural factors, including the improvement in the level of income in the Gulf countries and the reception of communities coming from all over the world, which has affected the cultural and linguistic diversity in the region. Gulf writers have been able to present stories and novels that reflect their reality, challenges, and ambitions, and to interact with diverse readers in the region and beyond.
She added: “Gulf stories with a global bent, which showcase Gulf relations with the world, play a vital role in promoting Gulf culture and narrative at the global level, and I found this clearly through my experiences writing in English, and in many Gulf novels written in other languages. “It contributes to transferring the Gulf narrative to other cultures, which enhances cultural and literary interaction between the region and the world.”
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