Hizam bin Rashid to "Alam al-Kutub": The Authentic Novel Reaches Everyone

Abstract

Hizam bin Rashid: The Saudi Novel Advances toward Global Recognition Driven by the Boldness of Emerging Voices.

Hizam bin Rashid, the Saudi novelist, reveals his perspective on writing and the Saudi novel. He explains that his literary inception emanated from a profound internal feeling and an urgent desire to articulate suppressed narratives and emotions. He began his initial publication journey in Kuwait due to the publishing challenges prevalent in Saudi Arabia at the time. Bin Rashid posits that the widespread resonance of his novels within the Gulf region is attributable to their inherent authenticity and their capacity to reach the readers’ feelings and their everyday dilemmas.

He emphasized that the Saudi environment is strongly present in his works, not only in a direct sense, but also through the depiction of details, customs, and human conflicts. He further noted that his writings focus on psychological pain, disappointment, fear, and issues that people are often reluctant to discuss. According to him, he writes primarily for himself and subsequently for the reader, with the aim of enabling readers to feel that the story speaks to their own personal experiences.

Furthermore, he addresses the pivotal role of digital platforms and social media in amplifying literary reach and bridging the distance between authors and readers. However, he observes that while these mediums have facilitated rapid access to celebrity, they have simultaneously compounded the difficulty of achieving genuine literary distinction. He also reaffirms his conviction in the enduring relevance of the physical book despite the proliferation of electronic alternatives, positing that reading print media constitutes a uniquely distinctive emotional experience.

With regard to artificial intelligence, he viewed it as a supportive tool that cannot replace human beings, since genuine writing emerges from human emotions and lived experiences. He also advised young writers to write sincerely, avoid imitation, and continue regardless of the circumstances.

The dialogue further addresses the critical success of his novel "The Child Iman," which he characterizes as a voice to marginalized and vulnerable children and a real suffering experienced by many. This contributed to the novel’s widespread dissemination and its subsequent adaptation into a televised drama series that garnered millions of views across digital streaming platforms. In conclusion, Bin Rashid asserts that the contemporary Saudi novel is progressively advancing toward global recognition, propelled by the boldness of emerging literary voices and their capacity to interrogate sensitive issues with profound depth and uncompromised authenticity.