Novelist Hashem Mahmoud (left) along with other guests during the session.
Doha: The Katara Library for Arabic Fiction recently organised a discussion session for the short story collection “The Bodyguard” by novelist Hashem Mahmoud, in cooperation with the Read and Ratiq Club.
The session was moderated by Ahmed Al Alawi, while Sami Hedaya presented a critical reading about the collection, where he praised the writer’s style and daring in presenting the group’s topics, which dealt in their entirety with women. He added that the writer, in his collection of 16 stories, referred to the patriarchal view that women suffer from in all societies.
Novelist Hashem Mahmoud said: “We cannot look at women except with a view of appreciation and honour, as we belong to a nation that honoured women as mothers, wives and daughters. Finger on the wound and shed light on it, and review some of the differences that have changed in the culture of societies, which led to the imbalance of some values, which in turn will lead to dire consequences in society and the family.”
It is worth noting that Hashim Mahmoud is an Eritrean writer and novelist who produced various publications, including The Road to Adal, Taqorba, The Winter of Asmara, and the novel Perfume of Gunpowder, which won the award of the Arab Women Organisation for the best African novel dealing with women for the year 2019.
The discussion session is held under the “Library Guest” event organised by the Katara Library for Arabic Novel in Building 48. The event has hosted a number of writers and seeks to enrich the literary and cultural arena through these valuable and enjoyable sessions.
