Arab Women Writers

Dalya Cohen-Mor

Description

Consisting of sixty short stories by forty women writers from across the Arab world, this collection opens numerous windows onto Arab culture and society and offers keen insights into what Arab women feel and think. The stories deal not only with feminist issues but also with topics of a social, cultural, and political nature. Different styles and modes of writing are represented, along with a diversity of techniques and creative approaches, and the authors present many points of view and various ways of solving problems and confronting situations in everyday life. Lively, outspoken, and provocative, these stories are essential reading for anyone interested in the Arab world.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Arab Women Writers: A Brief Sketch
Thematic Aspects
Modes of Writing
Arab Women: Old Images, New Profiles

Part One: Growing Up Female

Samiya At'ut (Palestine) That Summer Holiday
Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia) The Parting Gift
Nura Amin (Egypt) Let's Play Doctor
Radwa Ashour (Egypt) In the Moonlight
Buthayna al-Nasiri (Iraq) At the Beach
Mona Ragab (Egypt) A Helping Hand
Fawziya Rashid (Bahrain) In the Recesses of Memory
Sharifa al-Shamlan (Saudi Arabia) Fragments from a Life
Najiya Thamir (Syria) The Slave

Part Two: Love and Sexuality

Nawal al-Saadawi (Egypt) The Picture
Latifa al-Zayyat (Egypt) The Picture
Layla al-Uthman (Kuwait) The Picture
Nafila Dhahab (Tunisia) The Smile
Nura Amin (Egypt) My Mother's Friend
Hayat Bin al-Shaykh (Tunisia) A Worthless Woman

Part Three: Male-Female Relations

Colette Suhayl al-Khuri (Syria) Where To?
Layla Ba'labakki (Lebanon) The Cat
Fadila al-Faruq (Algeria) The Woman of My Dreams
Samiya At'ut (Palestine) Mozart's Fez
Samira Azzam (Palestine) A Virgin Continent
Nadiya Khust (Syria) An Old Couple

Part Four: Marriage

Ihsan Kamal (Egypt) A Mistake in the Knitting
Alifa Rifaat (Egypt) My Wedding Night
Sahar al-Muji (Egypt) The Dummy
Daisy al-Amir (Iraq) The Cat, the Maid, and the Wife
Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon) Sun, I Am the Moon
Zuhur Wanisi (Algeria) The Dreadful Sea
Mayy Ziyada (Palestine) The Lady with the Story
Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon) The Persian Rug
Aliya Mamdouh (Iraq) The Dream
Sakina Fuad (Egypt) Pharaoh Is Drowning Again

Part Five: Childbearing

Ihsan Kamal (Egypt) The Spider's Web
Rafiqat al-Tabi'a (Morocco) Man and Woman
Sufi Abdallah (Egypt) Half a Woman
Ramziya Abbas al-Iryani (Yemen) Heir Apparent
Daisy al-Amir (Iraq) The Newcomer

Part Six: Self-Fulfillment

Salwa Bakr (Egypt) International Women's Day
Layla Ba'labakki (Lebanon) The Filly Became a Mouse
Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia) Restoration
Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia) Waiting for Hayla
Sahar al-Muji (Egypt) The Closely Guarded Secret
Mona Ragab (Egypt) I Will Never Forfeit My Right
Fadila al-Faruq (Algeria) Homecoming
Zabya Khamis (United Arab Emirates) Bittersweet Memories

Part Seven: Customs and Values

Samira Azzam (Palestine) Tears for Sale
Ramziya Abbas al-Iryani (Yemen) Misfortune in the Alley
Fawziya Rashid (Bahrain) Questioning
Emily Nasrallah (Lebanon) The Dinosaur
Hadiya Sa'id (Lebanon) Moonstruck
Khayriya al-Saqqaf (Saudi Arabia) A Moment of Truth
Daisy al-Amir (Iraq) The Future
Suhayr al-Tall (Jordan) The Gallows

Part Eight: The Winds of Change

Ulfat al-Idilbi (Syria) The Breeze of Youth
Suhayr al-Qalamawi (Egypt) A Successful Woman
Radwa Ashour (Egypt) In Need of Reassurance
Nafila Dhahab (Tunisia) Short and Sassy
Samiya At'ut (Palestine) The Collapse of Barriers
Salwa Bakr (Egypt) The Beginning
Nuzha Bin Sulayman (Morocco) A Moment of Contemplation
Mona Ragab (Egypt) I Will Try Tomorrow

Notes

About the Authors

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 16 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791483466
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Arab Women Writers
SUNY series, Women Writers in Translation Marilyn Gaddis Rose, editor
Arab Women Writers
An Anthology of Short Stories
Edited, Translated, and with an Introduction by Dalya Cohen-Mor
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
2005 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2365
Production by Judith Block Marketing by Fran Keneston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Arab women writers : an anthology of short stories / collected, translated, and introduced by Dalya Cohen-Mor. p. cm. - (SUNY series, women writers in translation) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-7914-6419-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) - ISBN 0-7914-6420-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Short stories, Arabic-Translations into English. 2. Arabic fiction-Women authors-Translations into English. I. Cohen-Mor, Dalya II. Series. PJ7694. E8A719 2005 892.7 301089287-dc22
2004015114
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Michael, my life s companion
Contents
Acknowledgment s
Introduction
Arab Women Writers: A Brief Sketch
Thematic Aspects
Modes of Writing
Arab Women: Old Images, New Profiles
Part One Growing Up Female
That Summer Holiday Samiya At ut (Palestine)
The Parting Gift Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia)
Let s Play Doctor Nura Amin (Egypt)
In the Moonlight Radwa Ashour (Egypt)
At the Beach Buthayna al-Nasiri (Iraq)
A Helping Hand Mona Ragab (Egypt)
In the Recesses of Memory Fawziya Rashid (Bahrain)
Fragments from a Life Sharifa al-Shamlan (Saudi Arabia)
The Slave Najiya Thamir (Syria)
Part Two Love and Sexuality
The Picture Nawal al-Saadawi (Egypt)
The Picture Latifa al-Zayyat (Egypt)
The Picture Layla al-Uthman (Kuwait)
The Smile Nafila Dhahab (Tunisia)
My Mother s Friend Nura Amin (Egypt)
A Worthless Woman Hayat Bin al-Shaykh (Tunisia)
Part Three Male-Female Relations
Where To? Colette Suhayl al-Khuri (Syria)
The Cat Layla Ba labakki (Lebanon)
The Woman of My Dreams Fadila al-Faruq (Algeria)
Mozart s Fez Samiya At ut (Palestine)
A Virgin Continent Samira Azzam (Palestine)
An Old Couple Nadiya Khust (Syria)
Part Four Marriage
A Mistake in the Knitting Ihsan Kamal (Egypt)
My Wedding Night Alifa Rifaat (Egypt)
The Dummy Sahar al-Muji (Egypt)
The Cat, the Maid, and the Wife Daisy al-Amir (Iraq)
Sun, I Am the Moon Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon)
The Dreadful Sea Zuhur Wanisi (Algeria)
Woman with a Story Mayy Ziyada (Palestine)
The Persian Rug Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon)
The Dream Aliya Mamdouh (Iraq)
Pharaoh Is Drowning Again Sakina Fuad (Egypt)
Part Five Childbearing
The Spider s Web Ihsan Kamal (Egypt)
Man and Woman Rafiqat al-Tabi a (Morocco)
Half a Woman Sufi Abdallah (Egypt)
Heir Apparent Ramziya Abbas al-Iryani (Yemen)
The Newcomer Daisy al-Amir (Iraq)
Part Six Self-Fulfillment
International Women s Day Salwa Bakr (Egypt)
The Filly Became a Mouse Layla Ba labakki (Lebanon)
Restoration Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia)
Waiting for Hayla Umayma al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia)
The Closely Guarded Secret Sahar al-Muji (Egypt)
I Will Never Forfeit My Right Mona Ragab (Egypt)
Homecoming Fadila al-Faruq (Algeria)
Bittersweet Memories Zabya Khamis (United Arab Emirates)
Part Seven Customs and Values
Tears for Sale Samira Azzam (Palestine)
Misfortune in the Alley Ramziya Abbas al-Iryani (Yemen)
Questioning Fawziya Rashid (Bahrain)
The Dinosaur Emily Nasrallah (Lebanon)
Moonstruck Hadiya Sa id (Lebanon)
A Moment of Truth Khayriya al-Saqqaf (Saudi Arabia)
The Future Daisy al-Amir (Iraq)
The Gallows Suhayr al-Tall (Jordan)
Part Eight The Winds of Change
The Breeze of Youth Ulfat al-Idilbi (Syria)
A Successful Woman Suhayr al-Qalamawi (Egypt)
In Need of Reassurance Radwa Ashour (Egypt)
Short and Sassy Nafila Dhahab (Tunisia)
The Collapse of Barriers Samiya At ut (Palestine)
The Beginning Salwa Bakr (Egypt)
A Moment of Contemplation Nuzha Bin Sulayman (Morocco)
I Will Try Tomorrow Mona Ragab (Egypt)
Notes
About the Authors
Acknowledgments
This anthology owes its existence to the assistance and cooperation of many people and institutions. First and foremost, I want to thank the authors for permission to translate and print selections from their writings. The scope of this anthology made it at times difficult, despite all efforts, to locate some of the authors, their agents, or both. The editor and publisher regret any omissions or errors, which will be gladly corrected in subsequent printings.
I want to express my gratitude to all the authors whose individual stories appear in this volume: Sufi Abdallah for Half a Woman ; Nura Amin for My Mother s Friend and Let s Play Doctor ; Daisy al-Amir for The Newcomer, The Future, and The Cat, the Maid, and the Wife ; Radwa Ashour for In the Moonlight and In Need of Reassurance ; Samiya At ut for The Collapse of Barriers, Mozart s Fez, and That Summer Holiday ; Samira Azzam for Tears for Sale and A Virgin Continent ; Salwa Bakr for International Women s Day and The Beginning ; Layla Ba labakki for The Cat and The Filly Became a Mouse ; Hayat Bin al-Shaykh for A Worthless Woman ; Nuzha Bin Sulayman for A Moment of Contemplation ; Nafila Dhahab for Short and Sassy and The Smile ; Fadila al-Faruq for The Woman of my Dreams and Homecoming ; Sakina Fuad for Pharaoh Is Drowning Again ; Ulfat al-Idilbi for The Breeze of Youth ; Ramziya Abbas al-Iryani for Misfortune in the Alley and Heir Apparent ; Ihsan Kamal for A Mistake in the Knitting and The Spider s Web ; Umayma al-Khamis for The Parting Gift, Restoration, and Waiting for Hayla ; Zabya Khamis for Bittersweet Memories ; Colette Suhayl al-Khuri for Where To? ; Nadiya Khust for An Old Couple ; Aliya Mamdouh for The Dream ; Sahar al-Muji for The Dummy and The Closely Guarded Secret ; Buthayna al-Nasiri for At the Beach ; Emily Nasrallah for The Dinosaur ; Suhayr al-Qalamawi for A Successful Woman ; Mona Ragab for I Will Try Tomorrow, A Helping Hand, and I Will Never Forfeit My Right ; Fawziya Rashid for In the Recesses of Memory and Questioning ; Alifa Rifaat for My Wedding Night ; Nawal al-Saadawi for The Picture ; Hadiya Sa id for Moonstruck ; Khayriya al-Saqqaf for A Moment of Truth ; Sharifa al-Shamlan for Fragments from a Life ; Hanan al-Shaykh for The Persian Rug and Sun, I Am the Moon ; Rafiqat al-Tabi a for Man and Woman ; Suhayr al-Tall for The Gallows ; Najiya Thamir for The Slave ; Layla al-Uthman for The Picture ; Zuhur Wanisi for The Dreadful Sea ; Latifa al-Zayyat for The Picture ; Mayy Ziyada for Woman with a Story.
I also thank Sheba Press for permission to print revised translations from An Arabian Mosaic , which appeared in a limited edition in 1993.
In transliterating Arabic words and names, I have used a simplified system based on that of the Library of Congress. For greater ease in reading, all the diacritical marks have been omitted. The sign stands for both ayn and hamza , which are denoted only when they occur in the middle of a word (with the exception of bibliographical references, where they are denoted in full). Anglicized forms of Arabic words and names have been retained in the translated text.
This anthology has evolved over a decade of teaching modern Arabic literature in various settings and institutions. My contact with students, and my recurrent observation that the life of women in the Arab world is poorly understood and inadequately described in the West, provided the main impetus to study and collect stories by and about women from different parts of the Arab world.
Collecting the stories for this work was a formidable task that was facilitated by the Library of Congress, Georgetown University s Lauinger Library, and the Arabic Language Institute at the American University in Cairo. My warm thanks to all those members of staff and faculty who have gone out of their way to help me complete this project.
While the main part of this research was conducted at these prominent institutions, additional-and most fascinating-texts were obtained through travels to Arab countries, where my favorite pastimes were going to book fairs, visiting publishing houses, and browsing in bookshops and bookstalls. By looking at what was placed on the shelves or displayed on the sidewalks, and by talking to bookshop clerks and street vendors, I could familiarize myself with new authors and new works that have not yet made their way to public libraries in the East or the West. I could also assess which authors were the most popular, respected, neglected, and obscure . . .
Hunting for texts became an especially adventurous activity in Cairo, where books printed in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world are sold at very low prices. From Maktabat Madbuli to Maktabat al-Shuruq to Maktabat Layla, and from Dar al-Hilal to Dar al-Kitab al-Lubnani to Dar Sharqiyyat (to name but a few bookshops), I walked many miles, climbed many dark staircases, waited endlessly in small and hot offices, and searched patiently through stacks of dusty books-all for the sake of a particular volume or edition. On some occasions, I returned to my hotel with interesting finds such as banned books, out-of-print books, or hard-to-find books; at other times, I returned empty-handed. A particular test of perseverance was a bookseller s promise to bring me a certain book the next day. Are you sure you will have it tomorrow? I would ask. Inshallah, he would say. I would then return the following day onl