Yemeni literature featured in Banipal magazine

A photo of Old Sana’a decorates the newest issue of Banipal magazine, its 36th issue to date.  This most recent publication features an extensive story on the status of Yemeni literature.
 

Banipal is an independent literary magazine, published in English, that features contemporary authors and poets from all over the Arab world.  It was founded in 1998 by Margaret Obank and the Iraqi author Samuel Shimon.
 

The article, entitled, “Literature in Yemen Today,” includes city and landscape photos by Paola Crociani, and contains some novelists’ texts, short stories, and poems by 17 different Yemeni writers and poets.
 

However, the magazine said that it was forced to postpone many of the pieces until the next issue.
 

As for the published pieces, the article contains two short stories, entitled “A Fight to the Finish,” written by Bassam Shamseldin, and “The Black Cat,” by Yasir Abdel Baqi.  In addition, it includes a collection of poems by a number of Yemeni poets such as Dr. Abdel Aziz al-Maqalih, Laila Elhan, Shawqi Shafiq, Fathi Abul Nasr,  Mohammad al-Shaibani, Mohammad al-Qaood, Sawsan al-Areeqi, Nabila al-Zubair and Huda Ablan.
 

Excerpts from some Yemeni novels are also included in the Banipal’s pages, like excerpts from the novel, The Bird of Destruction, by Dr. Habib Srouri, Black taste, Black smell, by Ali al-Muqri, and an excerpt from the novel, The Tale of Mr. M, by Samir Abdulfattah.
 

Other pieces include excerpts from works by Ahmed Zein, Dr. Nadiah al-Kokabany, and Wajdi al-Ahdal.
 

In addition to publishing the texts themselves, the magazine includes short studies of the stories. Banipal’s three issues a year present already-established and new Arab authors and poets.  They include poems, short stories, or excerpts from novels, as well as author interviews, profiles and book reviews. Each issue is well illustrated with author photographs and a full color cover, which features prominent Arab artists.

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