The Historical Background of Narrative Writing in Yemen
By Dr. Hatem Mohammed Al-Shamea
The novel in Yemen emerged as a delicate plant, sprouting from the soil of folk tales and nourished by the sweet eloquence of the Yemeni tongue. With the dawn of the 20th century, this plant began to be influenced by the fragrant breeze of Western literature, leading to the formation of Yemeni novels that bore within them a dual identity—rooted in the authenticity of tradition and the modernity of contemporary thought.
The early novelists, whether in exile or at home, saw the novel as a weapon against colonialism and a means of expressing the people’s suffering. They penned stories that reflected their concerns and hopes, drawing inspiration from their surrounding environment.
Among these pioneers was Ahmed Abdullah Al-Saqqaf, who presented us with his novel The Karut’s Girl in 1927. This work, considered the first Yemeni novel, painted a vivid picture of the struggles faced by Yemenis in exile, revealing the spirit of defiance and determination that defines them.
However, despite these beginnings, the production of novels in Yemen remained limited for a long time. Until the 1970s, the number of published novels did not exceed a few hundred. The novel They Die Strangers by Mohammed Abdul-Wali played a significant role in igniting the spark of creative writing in Yemen. This novel addressed important social issues and became a landmark in the history of Yemeni literature.
In his article “The Political Crisis and the Revival of Yemeni Literature,” published in the Yemen Times on March 23, 2015, Fareed Al-Humaid states:
Ahmed Al-Saqqaf’s novel, The Karut’s Girl, published in 1927, is considered the first novel in modern Yemen. Since then, it is believed that only two hundred books authored by Yemeni writers have been published. Until the publication of the famous work by Mohammed Abdul-Wali, They Die Strangers, in 1971, which marked the beginning of popular literature in Yemen, only eight books had been produced. (Paragraph 3).
In Aden, Yemen’s coastal metropolis, the modern Yemeni novel was born in the early 20th century. In 1939, Mohammed Ali Luqman presented us with his novel Saeed, which served as a cry against British colonialism and a direct call to the Yemeni people for revolution and struggle.
Joining this remarkable literary scene was Ali Ahmed Ba Kathir, who enriched the literary landscape with his distinguished novels, such as Salama the Monk and O Islam!, and Abdullah Mohammed Al-Tayeb Arslan, who, in his novel *The Diaries of a Mechanic*, revealed the impact of World War II on Yemen.
During that period, magazines and newspapers were the only platforms available for Yemeni writers to publish their works, as there were no specialized publishing houses. Early Yemeni literature was influenced by modern Arabic literature, particularly Egyptian and Lebanese, characterized by a didactic style aimed at guiding and educating the reader.
However, as the struggle against British colonialism intensified, Yemeni literature transformed into a mirror reflecting the nation’s concerns and issues. Realistic novels began to emerge, addressing social and political themes inspired by the Yemeni people’s struggle for freedom and independence.
Here, the critic M. Sovorov notes:
The beginnings of modern prose writing in Yemen date back to the 1940s, when Yemeni writers adopted the ideas of the broader Arab Renaissance movement, or Nahda. They produced educational short stories, generally similar to those written by some Lebanese and Egyptian authors in the late 19th century. Didacticism dominated Yemeni prose until the mid-1950s, when the rapid spread of nationalist and anti-colonial ideas in Aden led local writers to focus on social and political issues. This gave rise to a deeply politicized realism. The armed struggle against the British, which began in South Yemen in 1963, inspired some authors to start writing romanticized short stories about the heroic deeds of their fellow citizens. (24)
With the dawn of independence in the 1960s, Yemeni literature underwent a significant transformation, and the Yemeni novel began to assert itself as a voice expressing the people’s concerns and aspirations. Oral tales and folklore, which had previously been dominant, gave way to the need for written narratives that reflected the lived reality and challenges faced by Yemeni society.
Yemeni writers replaced folk tales with realist prose, developing their narrative techniques to keep pace with the world’s changes. Soon, prominent names emerged in the Yemeni literary scene, such as Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Zubayri, Ali Muhammad Abduh, and Ramziya Al-Iryani, who produced novels addressing pressing social and economic issues and revealing the suffering of the Yemeni people.
Al-Zubayri’s The Tragedy of Waq Al Waq (1960), Abduh’s Diary of a Worker (1966), and Al-Iryani’s Qat is Killing Us (1969) and Victim of Greed (1970) were all cries for justice and equality, shedding light on the problems plaguing Yemeni society, such as poverty and ignorance. In the same year, Abdul Rahim Al-Siblani published his novel Wrestling with Death (1970). However, it was Muhammad Abduh Al-Wali’s They Die Strangers (1971) that became a landmark in Yemeni literature, delving into profound issues and gaining widespread acclaim.
As the 1980s dawned, the Yemeni literary scene witnessed a remarkable renaissance, with a new generation of novelists taking on the task of advancing the Yemeni novel. While earlier works had primarily reflected societal concerns, this new wave began to tackle deeper and more expansive issues.
Among the most prominent of these novelists is Zayd Mutee‘ Dammaj, who presented us with his magnificent novel The Hostage (1984), which garnered wide international attention. A host of other novelists also emerged, contributing richly to the Yemeni literary scene, including Abdul Wahhab Al-Durani, Abdul Karim Al-Murtadha, Hussein Masebli, Hussein Salem Basadq, Mahmoud Safiri, Muhammad Hanbar, Abdullah Salem Bawazir, Muhammad Al-Muthanna, Abdul Majid Qadi, Yahya Ali Al-Iryani, Salwa Al-Sairahi, Saeed Al-Awlaqi, and many others.
The process of modernizing the Yemeni novel saw a significant acceleration following the achievement of Yemeni unification, as writers enjoyed greater freedom to express their views and explore global issues. Many Yemeni novelists succeeded in gaining widespread recognition both in the Arab world and internationally, among them Al-Gharbi Amran, Wajdi Al-Ahdal, Samir Abdul Fattah, Nadia Al-Kawkabani, Ahmed Al-Sari, Bassam Shams Al-Din, Al-Qotari, Fikriya Shihra, Al-Turki, and others, who stand as exemplary figures of contemporary Yemeni novelists.
The Quarantine Philosopher – Wajdi Al-Ahdal – trans. Hatem Al-Shamea
