Arab Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide 1873‐1999

Seventh century Arabic poet al‐Khansa' was told by a male contemporary that she was “the greatest poet amongst those with breasts”, to which she replied, “I'm the greatest poet amongst those with testicles, too”. This anecdote describes not only the ancient heritage of Arab women writers, but also the continued struggle faced by al‐Khansa's literary descendents – to be recognised for their talent in what is still a patriarchal civilisation, presenting a female perspective through journalism, novels and poetry. This guide, first published in Arabic in 2004, is a comprehensive source of 1,200 women writers from the Arab world.

Divided...