The imprint of place and the living past in Saudi fiction
The imprint of place and the living past in Saudi fiction newspress_en Tue, 10/27/2026 - 04:04 Culture & Social Affairs When Hamza Bogary published Saqifat al-Safa in the early 1980s, he revisited Mecca for reasons other than historical documentation. He evoked houses and neighbourhoods, schools and Qur’anic classrooms, the Grand Mosque, trades, customs, and the faces of ordinary people in a…
The novel Saqifat al-Safa, written in the early 1980s by Hamza Bogary, transports readers to Mecca through familiar sights and sounds. Bogary evokes the city's houses, neighborhoods, schools, and markets, capturing daily life in a changing urban landscape. While not a historical novel, the work nonetheless captures the essence of Mecca's living past.
In Safar Barlik by Maqbool Al Alawi, history is experienced through a child's eyes near Bir Darwish in Medina in 1915. A train passes through the desert, yet Dhib, the protagonist, remains unaware of its significance until years later. Through Dhib's journey, history is made tangible, transforming an unfamiliar sight into a remembered reality.
Ibrahim Al Wafi's The Black Sambuk also explores the human experience of place in the Hejaz. An abducted boy arrives in Yanbu al-Nakhl, surrounded by a bustling market, palm groves, and a slave market that extends to Medina. The village is depicted with meticulous detail, and the human body is treated as a commodity. Al Wafi's narrative intertwines with Bogary's and Al Alawi's stories, revealing the diverse experiences of individuals within the Hejaz.
Across different time periods, each novel portrays the unique character of Mecca, Medina, and Yanbu. Yet, the Hejaz emerges as a living, breathing entity through these fictional accounts. The shadow of slavery lingers in Hussein Al Amir's Shadow of Slaves, as seen in the enduring impact of an institution that vanishes yet continues to shape lives through language and legacy.
Raja Alem's Masra Ya Raqib presents Wadi Abqar as a mystical place steeped in myth and poetry. While not tethered to a specific location, the novel breathes life into the land, preserving its history through the imagination of its inhabitants. In Yahya Amqasim's Saq al-Ghurab: Al-Harba, the story of Sadiqiya transcends the realm of folklore, granting her a role in shaping the community's identity.
Amal Al Faran's Divers of Al-Ahqaf explores the aftermath of a disaster in Al-Aqiq, with the Qashash torrent reshaping lives and challenging societal norms. Each novel, whether through vivid depictions of place or the preservation of memory, underscores the profound impact of history on the individual and collective psyche in Saudi fiction.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
