Samar al-Muqrin : Saoudi female novelist…

Al-Saqi, a big publishing house has recently published another novel of these young Saudi female writers which has generated the interest of a big number of Arab and Western readers.

Launched in preview at the last book fair in Beirut, the new novelist, Samar al-Muqrin, has broken all sale records. Her thin book (77 pages) is called Nisa ‘al-munkar, something like “The vice women”, a title which makes a clear reference to the Arabic name of the famous local vice squad . The novel tells the story of a woman who, after an unhappy and forced marriage in which she vainly tried throughout 8 years to obtain a divorce, ends up living an illegitimate passion that justice will severely punish.

The book which is actually a series of investigations made by the novelist who is also a journalist, on saoudi prisons for women, was criticised on it’s literary qualities. the novel knew a big success among Arab readers which is a sign that women issues concern more than ever Gulf societies.