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The Influence of the Arab Spring on Arabic YA Literature

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Abstract

This study explores the impact of the political uprisings in the Middle East, known as the Arab Spring, on Arabic YA literary books. It is based on a content analysis of the Etisalat Book Award’s shortlisted entries for the period 2012–2016. It is argued that both children’s and YA literature of the Arab World subsequently became more open about discussing political and social events. While it could be argued that warfare and political instability have proved fruitful in providing material for stories, generally this fiction represents an optimistic trend, advocating peace as a healthy alternative to war. The findings of this article should enable all those interested in both children’s and YA literature to discover more authentic, literary, Arabic YA books.

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Notes

  1. The Etisalat award accepts submissions by publishers, authors, illustrators and app developers for books written in Arabic for children and young people from across the world, as long as the book is in Arabic. The award is organized by the Sharjah-based UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), and sponsored by the Etisalat Group.  It has six categories, comprising the Children’s Book of the Year (worth 300,000 Arab Emirates Dirhams), the proceeds being distributed equally between the author, illustrator and publisher, the Young Adults’ Book of the Year (worth AED 200,000), and separate awards for Best Text, Best Illustration, Best Production, and Digital Book App of the Year (each worth AED 100,000).  The jury consists of five experts in the children's book industry, four of whom are from different Arab countries and one from a foreign country.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Sciences Department, College of Education, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar

    Nisreen Anati

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  1. Nisreen Anati
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Correspondence to Nisreen Anati.

Additional information

Professor Nisreen Anati is a faculty member at the College of Education, Qatar University- Qatar. Formerly, she chaired the English Education Department at Al Ain University of Science and Technology, UAE. Her publications appear in peer reviewed international journals that shed light on common educational themes relevant to Arabic children’s and young adults’ literature as well as multicultural education. More recently, she has presented a number of research papers at international conferences which discuss themes relevant to the reading habits of Arab parents as well as current challenges facing the world of Arabic YA literature.

Appendices

Appendix A: Etisalat Award’s Shortlisted Arabic YA Books, 2012–2016

  • Al-Najjar, T. (2012). Jadati Nafeesah جدتي نفيسة [My granma Nafeesah]. Jordan: Al Salwa Publishers. (Children’s category).

  • Al Najjar, T. (2014). Lugz ain al saqrلغز عين الصقر [Mystery of falcon’s eye]. Jordan: Al Salwa Publishers.

  • Al-Najjar, T. (2013). Sit al kul ست الكل [Against the tide]. Jordan: Al Salwa Publishers.

  • Al Noman, N. (2012). Ajwan أجوان [Ajwan]. Egypt: Nahdet Misr Publishing.

  • Al Shahri, N. (2010). Pizarro wa qaraSinat Al baHar بيزارو و قراصنة البحر [Pizarro and pirates of the sea]. Saudi Arabia: Dar Kadi Wa Ramadi.

  • Al Falahi, J. and Abdali, N. (2016) Al awalem Al muDee’ah العوالم المضيئة [The lighting worlds]. UAE: AlHudhud Publishing And Distribution.

  • Amin, H. R. (2016). Surakh khalfa Al abuab صراخ خلف الأبواب [Screaming behind doors]. Egypt: Dar Nahdet Misr.

  • Abu Rahma, A. (2015). Nazl Al thurah Al Safraa’ نزل الذرة الصفراء [The yellow corn]. Jordan: Al Ahliah Publishing.

  • Al Sharouni, Y. (2015). Laylatu Al naar ليلة النار[The fire night]. Egypt: Dar Nahdet Misr.

  • Abdullah, H. (2014). Dajajatu Al bayat alathi raHal دجاجة البيت الذي رحل [The Chicken of the house that has moved out]. Lebanon: Academia International.

  • Bsharat, A. (2009). Ismi al Haraki frashah اسمي الحركي فراشة [Code name: Butterfly]. Palestine: Tamer Institute.

  • Bsharat, A. (2014). Ashjar Al naas Al gha’been أشجار للناس الغائبين [Trees for absent people]. Palestine: Tamer Institute.

  • Barraj, S. (2012). Jadati Statathkarani Da’man جدتي ستتذكرني دائما [My grandma will always remember me]. Lebanon: Youki Press. (Children’s category).

  • Dagher, M. (2016). Ijazah itirariah/اجازة اضطرارية [Urgent leave]. Palestine: Al Ahlia Publishing.

  • Farah, A. (2016). Muzekrat fatah مذكرات فتاة [Girl’s memos]. Egypt: Dar Shajarah.

  • Ghanem, H. (2014). Sana fi Qanna سنة في قنا [A year in Qanna]. Egypt: Dar Al Balsam.

  • Khamees, A. (2015). Haflat shai fi qasr Cinderella حفلة شاي في قصر سندريلا [A Tea Party in Cinderella’s Castle]. Saudi Arabia: Dar Arwa.

  • Mhaidly, N. (2012). Kainat saqf Al ghurfah كائنات سقف الغرفة [Creatures on the ceiling]. Lebanon: Dar Al Hada’q. (Children’s category).

  • Namer, S. (2013). ReHlat ajeebah fi bilad ghareeba رحلات عجيبة في بلاد غريبة [Wonder travels in mysterious lands]. Palestine: Tamer Institute.

  • Shabani, S. (2015). Maa’rakat Antarah Ben Shadad معركة عنترة بن شداد [Antara Ben Shadad’s Battelle]. Lebanon: Academia International.

  • Sharafeddine, F. (2102). Habat reeH qawiya هبت ريح قوية [A Strong wind blew]. Egypt: Dar Al Shurouq. (Children’s category).

  • Sharafeddine. F. & Barraj, S. (2013). Ghadi wa Rawan غدي و روان[Ghadi and Rawan]. Lebanon: Dar Al Saqi.

  • Shalabi, I. (2015). Al khurouj men Al fuqaa’h الخروج من الفقاعة [Getting out of the bubble]. Egypt: Dar Al Balsam.

  • Shuqair, M. (2014). Al Quds madeenati Al auwlah القدس مدينتي الأولى [Jerusalem is my first city]. Palestine: Al Zayzafouna Publishing.

  • Taher, W. (2012). Saba’t arwaH سبع أرواح [Seven spirits]. Egypt: Dar Al Shurouq.

Appendix B: Common Themes and Characteristic of Authentic Arabic YA Literature

Anati (2010) claimed that the availability of some or most of the following characteristics and themes in a text would add to the sensitivity and the authenticity of the Arabic YA literature:

  • Stories contain religious beliefs and behaviours: an Arab’s faith in Allah/God is strongly reflected in children’s and YA stories passed down throughout the generations.

  • The ruler of the country is regarded as an oppressive figure: in most stories, he is the ultimate ruler whose will is never questioned by the public.

  • Call for national liberation from colonizers (Western occupation): For many nations the struggle for independence, revolution, social change, economic development and confrontations with former colonizers and new world powers have all provided vehicles for literary work.

  • The Middle Eastern conflicts: wars in the Middle East form the backdrop for the majority of literature written since the 1950s. Since the war of 1948, the plight of the Palestinian people has been the major topic of Arab writers throughout the Arabic-speaking region.

  • Cultural morals that preserve Arabic culture are included: most of the children’s and YA stories have an ethical dimension, mostly derived from the Qura’n and Sunnah that teach the reader right from wrong.

  • Heroism fits within Arabic history: since the tribal structure was the nucleus of social and political life for a very long period, the values of such a culture influenced Arabic writing in general. Thus, hospitality and kindness to guests and strangers are seen as essential qualities of respectful adolescents.

  • Males and females maintain gender specific relationships within Arabic society: the stories display the social values that the Arabs have in common and discuss the position and roles of men and women in society.

  • Coming of age and discovering one’s identity: immigrant children who live outside their home countries struggle to fit into their new cultures at this crucial age.

  • Family and community are stressed: togetherness and brotherhood among family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, leading to mutual help, communal support, and collective wisdom.

  • Novels mirror contemporary family structures: although reverence for parents and the elderly is highly encouraged, some modern novels reflect conflicts between tradition and popular, contemporary culture, which may result in rebellion against parental and/or cultural constraints.

  • Modern novels include stories of adjustment: of homesickness, adaptation and assimilation to a new life, encountering feelings of isolation, loneliness and poverty. For the stereotypes that describe Arabs as “terrorists,” specifically after the 9/11 attack, a number of modern novels emerged to address Arab/Muslim adolescents who lived outside their home countries.

  • Western-Eastern conflicts: the tension between town and country is parallel to, and often connected with, that between East and West or Arab and European, for the town is essentially a modern space that has seen a measure of westernization both topographically and socially.

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Anati, N. The Influence of the Arab Spring on Arabic YA Literature. Child Lit Educ 50, 223–239 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-017-9326-6

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