Zayd Mutee' Dammaj
Encyclopedia
Zayd Mutee' Dammaj was a Yemen
i author and politician. He is best known for his short novel The Hostage
which was selected by the Arab Writers Union
as one of the top 100 Arabic novels of the 20th century.
of Ibb Governorate
. His father Sheikh Mutee' bin Abdullah Dammaj was a committed revolutionary activist against the rule of Imam Yahya and went on to establish a political party Al-Ahrar. The young Dammaj was educated in the village madrasa and at home, before his father sent him to a school in Taiz. In 1958, Dammaj went to Egypt
where he studied in schools in Bani Suwayf and Tanta
before enrolling in Cairo University
in 1964. He studied law for a couple of years before deciding to make the switch to journalism. He had already started to write political articles and short fiction that was published in the New Yemen periodical. In 1968, still in the middle of his studies, he was summoned back home to participate with his father in the anti-royalist movement.
In 1970, Dammaj was elected to the Shura Council
, regarded as Yemen's first elected parliament, as a representative of his native district of As Sayyani. His political rise continued. By 1976, he was appointed governor of the Mahweet governorate and in 1980, he became Yemen's ambassador to Kuwait
. In 1982, he cemented his place in the political hierarchy when he was elected to the Permanent Committee of the General People’s Congress, the ruling party in Yemen.
Parallel to his political career, Dammaj also pursued a career as a literary writer. His first volume of short stories
was published in 1973, while Al-Rahinah (The Hostage) was published in 1984. It went through multiple printings in Arabic and has since been translated into French
, English
, German
and Hindi
among others. It is widely regarded as a classic of modern Arabic literature
.
Dammaj died on March 20, 2000 in London
. He was 57. His eldest son Hamdan Dammaj is a computer scientist and writer.
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i author and politician. He is best known for his short novel The Hostage
The Hostage (Yemeni novel)
Al-Rahinah or The Hostage is a Yemeni short novel by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was selected by the Arab Writers Union as one of the 100 best Arabic novels of the 20th century. To date, the novel has been translated into French, English , German and Hindi....
which was selected by the Arab Writers Union
Arab Writers Union
The Arab Writers Union is an association of Arab writers. The Union is currently based in Cairo where it moved in 2008....
as one of the top 100 Arabic novels of the 20th century.
Life and work
Dammaj was born in As Sayyani DistrictAs Sayyani District
As Sayyani District is a district of the Ibb Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 110,515 inhabitants....
of Ibb Governorate
Ibb Governorate
Ibb is a governorate of Yemen. It is located in the inland south of the country with Ta'izz Governorate to the southwest, Ad Dali' Governorate to the southeast, Dhamar Governorate to the north, and short borders with Al Bayda' Governorate to the east and Al Hudaydah Governorate to the west...
. His father Sheikh Mutee' bin Abdullah Dammaj was a committed revolutionary activist against the rule of Imam Yahya and went on to establish a political party Al-Ahrar. The young Dammaj was educated in the village madrasa and at home, before his father sent him to a school in Taiz. In 1958, Dammaj went 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 he studied in schools in Bani Suwayf and Tanta
Tanta
Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...
before enrolling in Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
in 1964. He studied law for a couple of years before deciding to make the switch to journalism. He had already started to write political articles and short fiction that was published in the New Yemen periodical. In 1968, still in the middle of his studies, he was summoned back home to participate with his father in the anti-royalist movement.
In 1970, Dammaj was elected to the Shura Council
Shura Council
The Shura Council is the upper house of Egyptian bicameral Parliament. Its name roughly translates into English as "the Consultative Council". The lower house of parliament is the People's Assembly....
, regarded as Yemen's first elected parliament, as a representative of his native district of As Sayyani. His political rise continued. By 1976, he was appointed governor of the Mahweet governorate and in 1980, he became Yemen's ambassador to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. In 1982, he cemented his place in the political hierarchy when he was elected to the Permanent Committee of the General People’s Congress, the ruling party in Yemen.
Parallel to his political career, Dammaj also pursued a career as a literary writer. His first volume of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
was published in 1973, while Al-Rahinah (The Hostage) was published in 1984. It went through multiple printings in Arabic and has since been translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
among others. It is widely regarded as a classic of modern 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....
.
Dammaj died on March 20, 2000 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was 57. His eldest son Hamdan Dammaj is a computer scientist and writer.
Books
- Tahish al-HubanTahish al-HubanTahish al-Huban is a Yemeni short story collection by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was first published in 1973....
(1973), short story collection - Al-'Aqrab (The Scorpion)The Scorpion (1982 novel)The Scorpion or Al-'Aqrab is a Yemeni short story collection by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was first published in 1982....
(1982), short story collection - Al-Rahinah (The Hostage)The Hostage (Yemeni novel)Al-Rahinah or The Hostage is a Yemeni short novel by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was selected by the Arab Writers Union as one of the 100 best Arabic novels of the 20th century. To date, the novel has been translated into French, English , German and Hindi....
(1984), novel - The BridgeThe Bridge (short stories)The Bridge or Al-Jisr is a Yemeni short story collection by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was first published in 1986....
(1986), short story collection - The Sorrows of the Girl MayyasaThe Sorrows of the Girl MayyasaThe Sorrows of the Girl Mayyasa or Ahzan al-bint Mayyasa is a Yemeni short story collection by Zayd Mutee' Dammaj. It was first published in 1990....
(1990), short story collection - Al-Inbihar wa Al-Dahshah (The Amazement and the Astonishment) (2000), memoirs
- Al-Madfa' Al-Asfar (The Yellow Cannon) (2001), short story collection
- Al-Madrasah Al-Ahmadiyah (The Ahmadi School), novel