From right: novelists Hoda Al-Nuaimi, Anne Al-Safi, Fathia Dabash, and critic Muhammad Moatasem (Al-Jazeera)

We must first ask: Is writing a biography in a literary work a charge?

There are those who raise another question: Why do Arab women writers find room in novel writing to pass on some of their biography within the folds of the work in exchange for dispensing with presenting a book under the name “biography”?

But doesn't that mean marginalizing the writings of Arab writers? Especially since there are generations of women writers who have written biographies, such as the novelist Radwa Ashour and her book “Heavier Than Radwa,” the novelist critic “An Inspection Campaign,” and the poet “A Mountain Journey.”

Perhaps writing an autobiography requires some boldness and caution in societies that hold women’s writings accountable. Therefore, the participants in this survey are trying to make literature only general humanism.

Charter of truth

The Qatari novelist Hoda Al Nuaimi, the author of the biography “The Palms’ Revelation,” points out that in this book she preferred to be the frank and transparent narrator, and she chose “revelation” as the title of the book, as “revelation may be an attractive title for the reader because of the human curiosity we all have for knowledge and getting closer to... Secrets, and this legitimate human curiosity is what makes biography books witness wide spread, especially in the West, and perhaps this is what made my book find acceptance and approval from those who have read it so far,” according to the description of the Qatari novelist.

This means, according to Al-Naimi, that taking the decision to write an autobiography is an adventure that requires a level of boldness.

She added: "I found in myself the courage to go through this experience, and it was indeed a beautiful time at the time of writing that biography. Relaxing in writing and retrieving pages from life and memories was the quality that accompanied me while writing, so much so that I would write a lot, and then decide after To choose which life scenes can be included in the book that I think is closest to a realistic novel. In short, the beautiful passion for writing has accompanied me all the time.”

On the other hand, Tunisian novelist Fathia Dabash spoke about the fact that all male and female writers, both East and West, draw inspiration from their lives and their localities in their writings, especially in the art of the novel.

Dabash adds: “Arab women writers must also be recognized for their ability to write novels, whether based on biography or anything else, especially since writing a novel is more complex than writing an autobiography in terms of writing techniques. Arab women writers have proven that the difference between their writing and the writing of men is only a quantitative difference.” Considering the abundance of production of (men) writers compared to the number of women writers.”

Dabash adds: “As for writing an explicit autobiography, Arabic literature is not devoid of it, even if it is scarce, whether for male or female writers. This is due to several reasons, including subjective and objective ones. Writing a biography is a complete and independent project in itself and requires a clear vision of what the biography is and the extent of its importance.” To constitute an addition to the writer and the Arab library. If this element is not available, the incentive to write a biography is invalidated.”

She continues: “As for the objective, which is the most important in my view, it is due to the failure of the Arab person in general, whether man or woman, writer or otherwise, to reconcile with the culture of confession, exposure, and truth; it is a pillar that cannot be written, an autobiography or an autobiography without awareness of it and without the ability to Facing the naked truth. I believe that this reason is what made Arab writers not resort to writing explicit biography. And even some of the “autobiographical” texts that have come down to us do not comply with the charter of truth, but rather fall into the standard of self-glorification.”

On the other hand, the Sudanese novelist Anne Al-Safi believes that the writer - whether a man or a woman - is aware of the data of the local environments and their cultures.

Al-Safi continues: “These cultures - through a mechanism passed by generations - have set fences and red lines that are not allowed to be crossed. Although there were previous historical eras that used to discuss everything possible, as stated in the works of spoken stories, poems, drawings and writings from previous eras.”

She goes on to say that the matter is not limited to women, but also to men. In order for the writer to live in peace as much as possible; He avoids conveying details and details about himself by directly narrating his autobiography. Holding the writer morally accountable and personalizing criticism may take literary works and their author to unimaginable dimensions. How can a writer live in such societies?!

Biography and novel

On the other hand, Moroccan critic Mohamed Moatasem spoke about the concealment of women writers behind major political and social issues. She writes down her notes and diaries, just as the Egyptian writer Hoda Shaarawi did when she wrote herself by focusing on general political topics, because diaries are just another type of self-expression that characterized autobiographical writing, which with Philippe Lejeune after the “Self-Pact” turned into “Writing oneself,” and the woman once again hides behind the pseudonym, such as the beach girl, the sea girl.

This forced choice was expressed by the Moroccan writer Laila Abu Zeid in the introduction to her autobiography, “Return to Childhood,” out of fear of the social milieu, family, and work colleagues, which is controlled by value judgments characterized by generalization and opacity, and which is based on a fixed, collective judgment, that is, a well-established “mental representation.” In the inherited traditional subconscious, about the inability of the woman’s mind to think and thus to create and innovate.

Hoda Al-Naimi believes that the Arab writer’s resort to the novel as a refuge to reveal her life’s biography, instead of presenting a book under the name of biography, is a legitimate trick in writing. She leaves the reader room for interpretation, and travels with him between truth and fiction, and between (the writer’s ego) and (the personal’s ego) to increase his questions about the story. The novel, and the narrator. The novelist can take refuge behind a fictional character different from his real personality. Then, behind the curtain of that character, what cannot be revealed in public can be revealed, and thus the novel remains as (the mask) behind which the autobiography or parts of it hide. , that what I think".

Although this applies to both sexes, men and women, as Al-Naimi says, it actually applies to the world of Arab women writers more intensely than men, “and I think the reason is not hidden from anyone, which is the sensitivity of the status of women in our Arab societies, because they are conservative and prefer to keep everything secret.” What does not apply to Arab values, or absolute (correctness), and this is what life does not usually bring, so the natural place of revelation is the novel, which is a style preferred by many,” according to the novelist.

Direct and hidden

Sudanese novelist Anne Al-Safi admits that there are those who take direct writing as an imperative and confront the recipient, regardless of their background, and do not care, and there are those who prefer to hide behind the characters, stories, and tales of the narrative and poetic works presented.

She adds: “Truthfully, what matters is the aesthetics of the work presented. On the other hand, everyone should submit his or her CV, whoever he is and in whatever field he is in. Just adhere to objectivity and neutrality if possible. We may question that. What is important is that the other side be the reader, and that he be able to Benefit from these biographies and focus on their human aspects without delving into what might harm the writer and those around him. Have we reached this state in our cultures?!”

Muhammad Moatasem adds: “The Arab writer wrote herself in various forms and in different methods, including including her positions, opinions, and even her personal and field experiences in the narrative discourse, which is distinguished by the ability to absorb all types of discourses present in the cultural arena, such as poetic, political, legal, and media discourse, intellectual debate, testimonies, and investigations.”

He concludes: “This multiplicity of forms of expression, as well as the inclusion of self-writing within the narrative narrative body, has allowed critics and researchers at the same time to find cultural and intellectual structures that refer to the lived reality and to record many social situations and many political, intellectual, and doctrinal issues that have occupied people in various countries.” The modern and contemporary historical stages that shaped the face of the Arab world and drew its outlines and boundaries that it has today. But now, many male and female writers in the Arab world are accustomed to naturalizing their works without fear, under the name of general or partial “biography.”

Source: Al Jazeera