Abdullah Albsais (born 1980) is a Kuwaiti poet and novelist. He studied in Canada and Kuwait.[1][2][3]

His books include:

  • Al-Diwaniyya (short stories, 2011)
  • The Wall (short stories, 2012)
  • Ponderings (poetry, 2017)
  • Prodigal Memories (sometimes translated as Stray Memories) (novel, 2014)
  • The Taste of Guilt (novel, 2016)
  • M for Murderer: S for Sa’id (novel, 2019)

His work has been described as combining interest in literature and philosophy with folk stories.[3] During his youth, he participated in poetry competitions.[3]

His 2019 novel M for Murderer: S for Sa'id was longlisted for the Arabic Booker Prize in 2021.[4] He also won an award in 2017 at the Sharjah Book Fair.[3][5]

His 2014 novel was banned by authorities in Kuwait, particularly the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information, for raising an allegedly "sensitive" topic.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ Bio
  2. ^ Interview
  3. ^ a b c d Fakih, Marwa (2018-12-17). "Abdullah Al-Busais: Fiction Writing in the Gulf". Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  4. ^ "International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2021: Longlisted novels present the 'many tragic faces of Arab reality'". The National. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  5. ^ "Banned Kuwaiti Novel Takes Top Prize at Sharjah Book Fair". Al Bawaba. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  6. ^ Underwood, Alexia (23 September 2014). "Six Banned Middle Eastern Books You Should Read". Vice. Retrieved 2022-03-17.