In an evening of outstanding culture at the 34th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair being held at the Expo Centre from 4-14 November, poets, writers and literacy figures yesterday (Thursday) pondered creativity and the storytelling journey before an enthralled audience.In an session moderated by Mohammed Abdasameea called “Singing a Different Tune: Creative Individuals in the Diaspora” eminent literally figure Dr. Saleh Huwaidi, and award winning poet and writer Abdul Fatteh Sabri discussed the nature of exile and the impact it has on a writer.Abdasameea said that the literature of exiles or expats is distinct in that we can sense the writer’s attempt to discover himself, “This is where the writer searches for themselves through their work, reflecting their crisis through their writing or poetry,” he said.
Dr Huwaidi said that there is a longing and a nostalgia present in the writing of of those who are exiled from home, or who experience forced migration but that it is not an altogether bad thing. He said, “This writing has a self-awareness and expressionism that resonates with the reader. This writing was first seen in the 19th and 20th centuries and was thought of as new in form and content and was sometimes known as whispered literature. If, after settling in the West, their work reflects a sort of isolation and alienation, this kind of literature has become popular, even in the West and European countries, and has won awards. So there is a positive and a negative side to this for writers.”
Fatteh Sabri spoke about the diaspora Arabs found themselves in, even those who migrated to other Arabic countries. He said, “I myself left Egypt around 30 years ago and came to this beautiful and peaceful land. Yet I am still nostalgic for home. It is human nature is to live in the past and because we are Arabs we live for this piece of land we call home. I know there is a transparent sense of sadness. If I were in Egypt, these elements might not have been there. But migrant writers of today will leave their mark in the soil of their adopted countries and influence the young people living there. That poetry and prose is handed down not just from one generation to the next but from one country to another makes the work of writers more satisfying.” Whilst Arab literature for adults has won awards and been recognized there is a severe lack of quality Arabic literature for children according to a discussion that took place later called “Storytelling: What is and What Should be”. The seminar addressed the nature of the stories written for children in Arabic with writers, Hiba Mshari Hamada and Abdel Rida Al Sajwani who debated whether children’s stories have changed to cater to a new generation who lack the patience of previous generations and who are competing with social media and digital devices for their attention.
Hamada expressed concern that writers of Arabic literature for children did not take into consideration the needs of the child. She said, “In my opinion we do not have good Arabic writers of children’s literature. Books for children today is very black and white, enforcing ideas of absolute right and absolute wrong. But we know, and children do too, that life happens in the shades of grey. That is where the human experience lies and this is what children want to read about.” Hamada said it was her experience, after many years working with children, that only 4-5 percent want to read Arabic children’s books, whilst 40-50 percent rush to read Western literature. While Al Sajwani said that writing for children was so special but unfortunately there was a gap between what children wanted to read and what books were available to them in Arabic. He said, “Now that books are competing with the Internet and social media children have no patience with books. It is important that we provide them with the kind of creative and exciting content they want which can hold their attention.”