"Fortunately for me, my family travels frequently, which allows me to get hard-copy originals from abroad."
Yemeni Novelist Wajdi al-Ahdal on Being Birthed by a Poet
"I’ll never forget the date: It was March 30, 1995, and I still celebrate this day every year, as my literary birthday."
Friday Finds: 12 Poems by Nabilah al-Zubair
I will say that I am your lover (just saying) You will say to me: my love (just a word)
Wajdi al-Ahdal on ‘The First Ever Yemeni Theatre Production in the UK’
"The novel has an open end and complex allusions, which in my opinion gives more freedom to the dramaturge when writing the script."
An Excerpt from Nadia Al-Kowkabani’s ‘Ali Muhsin Souk’
"Nothing stays a secret for long in the souk."
‘The Yemeni Public Loves Writing Laced with Irony and Sarcasm’: On Yemeni Literary and Performing Arts
"Facebook has broken the barrier that distance once put in our way. And a writer in the diaspora may have more of a following in Yemen than a writer who lives here. Plus the freedom that writers can enjoy in exile has a positive impact on Yemeni literature as a whole."
Ali al-Muqri: ‘As for Writers, There′s Nothing They Can Do’
"As for writers, there′s nothing they can do about the terrible situation in Yemen. They live under bombing and mortar fire, the same as everyone else, with the same shortage of basic necessities like water, food and electricity."
Ali al-Muqri’s ‘Hurma’: Sex > War, Religion
Some preliminary thoughts about the novel.
6 Authors Who Are Part of Yemen’s Literary History and Literary Resurgence
"Ongoing political turmoil may not bode well for Yemen, but if 2014 is any indication, the outlook for its national literary scene is a promising one."
What Does It Take to Found a Library in Sana’a, Yemen?
The TEDxSana'a Book Club has established a small but vibrant book community in Yemen's largest city, as reported in the Yemen Times this week. Now they're looking to expand even more,
Poet Sawsan Al-Areeqe on the Best and Worst of Being a Poet in Yemen and Why You Should Read Ali al-Muqri
While she was in Iowa City, participating in the International Writing Program (IWP)'s fall 2013 residency, Yemeni poet and filmmaker Sawsan Al-Areeqe spoke with the program's "On the Map" series. The video interview was recently released on YouTube.
Yemen’s Anti-drone Poetry Contest
A recent Time article by Tik Root (@TikRoot) looks at "Yemen’s New Ways of Protesting Drone Strikes: Graffiti and Poetry." According to Root, a recent anti-drone poetry contest had as its prize $600 or "1% of the cost of a hellfire missile."
