Syrian literature
Encyclopedia
Syrian literature has been influenced by the Arabic literatures of other countries, by French literature and by the country's political history.
, literary production was subjected to censorship. In the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth, aspiring Syrian writers often chose emigration, moving primarily to Egypt
--where they contributed to al-Nahda
, the renaissance of Arabic literature
--and to the United States, developing Syrian literature from abroad.
From 1918 to 1926, while Syria was under French rule
, French
Romantic influences inspired Syrian authors, many of whom turned away from the traditional models of Arabic poetry
.
, mostly replaced the romantic trend of the previous decades. Hanna Mina
, rejecting art for art's sake
and confronting the social and political issues of his time, was one of the most prominent Syrian novelists of this era. Following the Six-Day War
in 1967, Adab al-Naksa, the "literature of defeat", grappled with the causes of the Arab defeat.
Baath Party rule, since the 1966 coup, has brought about renewed censorship. As Hanadi Al-Samman puts it,
In this context, the genre of the historical novel
, spearheaded by Nabil Sulayman, Fawwaz Haddad
, Khyri al-Dhahabi and Nihad Siris, is sometimes used as a means of expressing dissent, critiquing the present through a depiction of the past. Syrian folk narrative, as a subgenre of historical fiction, is imbued with magical realism, and is also used as a means of veiled criticism of the present. Salim Barakat
, a Syrian émigré living in Sweden, is one of the leading figures of the genre.
Contemporary Syrian literature also encompasses science fiction
and futuristic utopia
e (Nuhad Sharif, Talib Umran), which may also serve as media of dissent.
Mohja Kahf
has argued that literary dissent is typically expressed through the "poetics of Syrian silence":
From early times to 1948
Under Ottoman ruleOttoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
, literary production was subjected to censorship. In the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth, aspiring Syrian writers often chose emigration, moving primarily to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
--where they contributed to al-Nahda
Al-Nahda
Al-Nahda was a cultural renaissance that began in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Egypt, then later moving to Ottoman-ruled Arabic-speaking regions including Lebanon, Syria and others...
, the renaissance of Arabic literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
--and to the United States, developing Syrian literature from abroad.
From 1918 to 1926, while Syria was under French rule
French Mandate of Syria
Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
, French
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
Romantic influences inspired Syrian authors, many of whom turned away from the traditional models of Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed, or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter...
.
From 1948 to the present day
In 1948, the partitioning of neighbouring Palestine and the establishment of Israel brought about a new turning point in Syrian writing. Adab al-Iltizam, the "literature of political commitment", deeply marked by social realismSocial realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
, mostly replaced the romantic trend of the previous decades. Hanna Mina
Hanna Mina
Hanna Mina is a Syrian writer, described as "Syria's most prominent novelist".His early novels belong to the movement of social realism, and focus on class conflict; his later works contain "a more symbolic analysis of class differences"...
, rejecting art for art's sake
Art for art's sake
"Art for art's sake" is the usual English rendering of a French slogan, from the early 19th century, l'art pour l'art, and expresses a philosophy that the intrinsic value of art, and the only "true" art, is divorced from any didactic, moral or utilitarian function...
and confronting the social and political issues of his time, was one of the most prominent Syrian novelists of this era. Following the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in 1967, Adab al-Naksa, the "literature of defeat", grappled with the causes of the Arab defeat.
Baath Party rule, since the 1966 coup, has brought about renewed censorship. As Hanadi Al-Samman puts it,
- "In the face of threats of persecution or imprisonment, most of Syria's writers had to make a choice between living a life of artistic freedom in exile-as do Nizar Kabbani, Ghada al-SammanGhada al-SammanGhada al-Samman is an Arab Syrian writer, journalist and novelist born in Damascus in 1942 to a prominent and conservative Damascene family, she is remotely related to Nizar Qabbani the famous poet. Her father was Dr. Ahmed al-Samman, PhD, a president of the Syrian University...
, Hamida Na'na', Salim BarakatSalim BarakatSalim Barakat is a Syrian writer of Kurdish origins. He was brought up in Qamishli in northern Syria and spent most of his youth there. In 1970 he moved to Damascus to study Arabic Literature but after one year he moved to Beirut where he stayed until 1982. While in Beirut he published five...
, and prominent poet, critic, and novelist 'Ali Ahmad Sa'id (Adonis)-or resorting to subversive modes of expression that seemingly comply with the demands of the authoritarian police state while undermining and questioning the legitimacy of its rule through subtle literary techniques and new genres".
In this context, the genre of the historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
, spearheaded by Nabil Sulayman, Fawwaz Haddad
Fawwaz Haddad
Fawwaz Haddad is a Syrian novelist. He was born in Damascus and studied law at Damascus University. He held several jobs before taking up writing full-time. Haddad published his first novel Mosaic, Damascus '39 in 1991...
, Khyri al-Dhahabi and Nihad Siris, is sometimes used as a means of expressing dissent, critiquing the present through a depiction of the past. Syrian folk narrative, as a subgenre of historical fiction, is imbued with magical realism, and is also used as a means of veiled criticism of the present. Salim Barakat
Salim Barakat
Salim Barakat is a Syrian writer of Kurdish origins. He was brought up in Qamishli in northern Syria and spent most of his youth there. In 1970 he moved to Damascus to study Arabic Literature but after one year he moved to Beirut where he stayed until 1982. While in Beirut he published five...
, a Syrian émigré living in Sweden, is one of the leading figures of the genre.
Contemporary Syrian literature also encompasses science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and futuristic utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
e (Nuhad Sharif, Talib Umran), which may also serve as media of dissent.
Mohja Kahf
Mohja Kahf
-Biography:Kahf moved to the United States in 1971. Her family has been involved in Syrian opposition politics, a theme reflected in the life of her character Khadra of The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf.She received her Ph.D...
has argued that literary dissent is typically expressed through the "poetics of Syrian silence":
- "The nostalgic, moist-eyed silences of Ulfat IdilbiUlfat idilbiUlfat Idilbi was a Syrian novel writer. She wrote books that became best sellers in the Arabic-speaking world, such as "Dimashq ya Basimat el Huzn" , which was translated into many languages and filmed as "Basimat al Huzn" .- Biography :Born in 1912, to a traditional Damascene...
's narrative could not be more different from the chilling, cynical silences in Zakaria Tamer's stories. The impassioned lacunae in Nizar Kabbani's proclaim exactly what it is they are not saying explicitly, while the poet Muhammad al-MaghutMuhammad al-MaghutMuhammed al-Maghut was a Syrian writer and poet. He was born in Salamiya, Syria in an Ismaili family.Muhammad Maghout was credited as the father of the Arabic free verse poetry, liberatng the Arabic poems from the traditional form and revolutionizing the structure of the poem.He wrote for...
's silence is sardonic, sneering both at the authorities and at himself, at the futility and absurdity of the human situation under authoritarian rule".
See also
Syrian writers- Culture of Syria
- History of SyriaHistory of SyriaThe history of Syria:*Prehistory and Ancient Near East: see Pre-history of the Southern Levant, Fertile Crescent, Ebla, Mitanni*Antiquity: see Syro-Hittite states, Greater Syria, Roman Syria...
- Politics of SyriaPolitics of SyriaPolitics in the Syrian Arab Republic takes place in the framework of what is officially a parliamentary republic, but what is considered an authoritarian government where the power is in the hands of the President of Syria, his family, the ruling Ba'ath Party, and the Alawi sect.The two presidents...
Sources
- Hanadi al-Samman, "Syria", in Literature from the "Axis of Evil"Literature from the "Axis of Evil"Literature from the "Axis of Evil" is an anthology of short stories, poems and excerpts from novels by twenty writers from seven countries, translated into English , and published by Words Without Borders in 2006....
(a Words Without BordersWords Without BordersWords Without Borders is an international magazine opened to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world’s best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers....
anthology), ISBN 978-1-59558-205-8, 2006, pp. 175–178. - Mohja Kahf, "The Silences of Contemporary Syrian Literature: Is there a Syrian literature?", in World Literature TodayWorld Literature TodayWorld Literature Today is an American magazine, published bimonthly at the University of Oklahoma. It was founded in 1927 by Roy Temple House as Books Abroad. In January 1977, the journal became World Literature Today...
75, n°2, (Spring 2001), p. 231.