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Born | 1945 Nihm District, Sana'a |
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Residence | Sana'a, Yemen |
Nationality | Yemeni |
Other names | Azizah Abd Allah |
Occupation | Novelist |
Years active | 1997-present |
Azizah Abd Allah Abu Lahum (born 1945) is a Yemeni novelist and writer.[1] She was born in Nihm District into a prominent sheikh family, and although she did not have formal schooling, she was brought up in a culturally aware environment. She married a diplomat which allowed her to live abroad and experience foreign cultures, before returning to live in Sana'a.
Along with Ramziyya al-Iryani, Azizah is considered one of the pioneering women of contemporary Yemeni literature.[2] Her first novelAhlam wa Nabilah was published from Cairo in 1997 and she has published several more novels since. More broadly, she has played a major role in the women's rights movement in Yemen. She helped to establish the Yemeni Women's Association in the 1970s and also participated in the US-based Arab Women's Council.[citation needed]
Because of the prominence of the Abu Lahum name, Azizah prefers to publish under the name of Azizah Abd Allah.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^Arab women writers: a critical reference guide, 1873-1999, by Radwa Ashour, Ferial Jabouri Ghazoul, Hasna Reda-Mekdashi
- ^Gender and the Writing of Yemeni Women Writers by Antelak Al-Mutawakel, PhD dissertation, University of Tilburg, 2005
A LAND WITHOUT JASMINE:
The first Yemeni Theatre Production in the UK at Battersea Arts Centre
Jasmine suddenly disappears without a trace from her university campus in Yemen's capital Sana'a. But who really knows what happened to her? Presenting the first ever Yemeni theatre production to be staged in the UK, A Land Without Jasmine is a dark fairytale which transports audiences to a murky underworld of lust, obsession and violence where nothing and no one are what they seem. An adaptation of Wajdi Al Ahdal's magical realist novel, directed by Palestinian theatre maker Mo’min Swaitat, the play is an exploration of teenage sexuality and fantasy in a little understood part of the Arab world. Featuring a cast and production team from across the Middle East, A Land Without Jasmine is a crime story like you have never seen before...
Wajdi al-Ahdal is a Yemeni novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and dramatist. He is the author of several collections of short stories and four novels, including A Land Without Jasmine (published in English by Garnet, 2012). His novel Mountain Boats was confiscated by the Yemeni Ministry of Culture for insulting ‘morality, religion, and conventions of Yemeni society’, and a campaign against the book drove him into exile for a number of years, before being pardoned by the former government. He now lives in Sana’a, where he continues to write and mentor young novelists and playwrights.
“Wajdi Al-Ahdal has written a surreal detective story that is both lucid and spare, yet strips away the deceits of Arab life and satirises illogical attitudes. It brings to mind the writing style of Haruki Murakami and his 'Kafka on the Shore'... Anyone seeking an insight into life in Arab culture should read this. It is not comfortable reading, but it is powerful, poignant writing at its best” ----Sam Hawksmoor, Hackwriters
BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE
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Directed by Mo’min Swaitat
Produced by Nadia Jaglom of Sarha Collective
Cast:
Osama Al-Azzeh (Nasser)
Tarek Al-Khateeb (Ali)
Sofia Aseer (Yasmine)
Mariam Balhas (Wahiba)
Sherine Chalhie (Inspector Abla Amir)
Mo’min Swaitat (The Sheikh)
Yasmine Yagchi (Yasmine/Sergeant M)
Set Design by Souheil Suleiman
Lighting Design by Andy Purves
Technician Mohammad Abu Atiya
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With thanks to Arts Council England, British Council Yemen and Battersea Arts Centre for their support.