Saudi Voices Go Global: How English Books Are Changing the Game
Today, we are already noticing how Saudi Arabia is becoming the ultimate hub of art and entertainment, but did you know that they are also teetering toward the world of global literature?
Many Saudi authors across the Kingdom are writing English language books to be able to reach wider international readers. With the Kingdom introducing new publishing opportunities, writers are getting to spread their culture through English-language books. Let us meet the most significant of these authors:
Mai Yamani
Exuding the epitome of a melting pot of cultures, Mai Yamani was born in Cairo to an Iraqi mother and a Saudi father. Even her schooling was culturally eclectic, as she attended schools in Baghdad, Mecca, and Lausanne. Then, she shattered ground when she became the first Saudi Arabian to receive a doctorate from Oxford.
Today, she is an accomplished author, having penned several books, including “Changed Identities: The Challenge of the New Generation in Saudi Arabia,” “Cradle of Islam: The Hijaz,” and “Quest for an Arabian Identity.” These books have reached international spheres and given the Western world a deep look into Arabian identity, Saudi Arabia, and Islam.
Fatemah Abdullah Al-Qahtani
Beyond Yamani, many other writers are still slowly trying to make a name for themselves in the international sphere. One such emerging author is Fatemah Abdullah Al-Qahtani. She is a professor of creative practices at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
She had quite a tumultuous journey when it came to publishing, as regional publishers refused to publish her work because it was written in English. Many recommended that she have her books written in Arabic instead.
This year, she finally found a publisher to publish her work. His name is Austin Macauley, and he is a British publisher who published her book “Creativity and Conservatism.” This book offers an investigation into the formation of Saudi female artistic identity.
Halah Alshathri
When it comes to Halah Alshathri, she is also an emerging author who works as a vice president of admin and financial services at Jazira Group in Riyadh.
Her books focus on business and corporate life, and that is why her new book, “Values of Mastery,” is all about optimizing one’s life, seizing opportunities, and making the most of one’s talents. It is a book that propels people forward in the business world.
Leen Al-Tamimi
Taking a different approach from the other writers on this list, Leen Al-Tamimi is an emerging children’s book writer. She writes allegorical stories with universal messages for children.
That is why she focuses on writing stories in English and has her stories be about far-off lands rather than ones that exist in our current world.
Her book “The Farmer with a Heart of Gold” is all about teaching kids the importance of behaving well, even in difficult situations. Seeing as how she wrote the book ten years ago, there was no means of publishing it as it was hard to publish back then.
Luckily, today, she was able to find a publishing house to get her story out there.
All these authors showcase the Kingdom’s ever-growing landscape of art and literature and how the country connects with the rest of the globe to foster an exchange of culture and make a name for itself in the world of tourism and entertainment.
