Shatha Shawki Hasan Al-Khateeb
”’Shatha Shawki Hasan Al-Khateeb”’ (born February 24, 1975) is a Yemeni novelist, short story writer and educator. She writes primarily in Arabic and explores themes of cultural identity, displacement, gender and the Arab world through fiction and biography.
Life
Al-Khateeb was born in Aden, Yemen 1975. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the Department of Educational Psychology at Petra University in Jordan, in 1998.
Professionally, Al-Khateeb has extensive experience working in various educational settings, including public and private schools, as well as conducting personal development training.
She currently resides in Cairo where she remains actively involved in the literary environment through writing, public speaking and seminars.
Writing career
Al-Khateeb began writing fiction as a hobby in 2009, contributing to multiple issues of the Gulf magazine ”Zahrat Al-Khalij”. Between 2010 and 2012, she published five short stories.
Her first full-length works included the novellas ”The Black Lily” (2012) and ”Rabaa’s Papers” (2013). These explored themes of cultural identity, displacement and belonging set in Jordan and Yemen respectively.
Subsequent publications include the novels ”Daughter of the Wind” (2013), ”The Violet House” (2014) and ”Years of Distraction (Years of Love and War)” (2017). Her 2020 biography ”The Worshipper” narrates the life of a dancer through her daughter.
Al-Khateeb’s writing has been featured and honored in several literary prizes and forums across the Arab world. She regularly participates in conferences, lectures and workshops on the craft of Arabic fiction.
Selected honors and activities
* Honored as Arab Creative at the Opera Cultural Salon for International Women’s Day (2019)
* Presented paper on social media and novel-writing at 7th Arab Novel Symposium, Cairo (2019)
* Delivered a lecture to Calicot University graduate students via Zoom (2020)
* Contributed to Calicot Cultural Magazine COVID-19 special issue (2020)
* Guest speaker at CPA University, India (2021) and Mustansiriya University, Iraq (2021)
* Served as trustee for Hazaawi Yemeni Narrative Award (2022)
* Honored at Opera House for International Women’s Day (2023)
Bibliography
* ”The Black Lily” (novella, 2012)
* ”Rabaa’s Papers” (novella, 2013)
* ”Daughter of the Wind” (novel, 2013)
* ”The Violet House” (novel, 2014)
* ”Adults Only” (short story collection, 2015)
* ”Years of Distraction (Years of Love and War)” (novel, 2017)
* ”The Worshipper” (biography, 2020)
* ”The Migrant” (novel, 2024)
A New Home – Nabila Al-Sheikh – trans. Hatem Al-Shamea
