One of the most prominent literary experiences in the field of the art of the short story in the Kingdom is the experience of the creative storyteller Mohammed Ali Alwan, one of the pioneers of this art and its developers, with the seventies story generation that included a wonderful group of creative storytellers, including: Hussein Ali Hussein, Muhammad Al-Mansour Al-Shaqha, Abdullah Bakhshwen, Abdulaziz Mishri, Sibai Ahmed Othman and others who developed the art of the story and presented aesthetic and technical techniques at the level of story construction, and at the level of the diversity of narrative levels, and the story significance into which symbolism entered, as well as folklore and popular elements, especially in stories that take place in the village.

Mohammed Ali Alwan was born in Abha in 1950 AD, holding a Bachelor's degree in Arabic literature from the Faculty of Arts at King Saud University in 1974 AD. He published six story collections, and supervised the cultural pages in both Al-Yamamah magazine and Al-Riyadh newspaper for several years. He participated in story evenings in literary clubs, and the Association of Culture and Arts, and he is a founding member of the Asir Foundation for Press and Publishing, which publishes the newspaper “Al-Watan”.

He worked in the Ministry of Information since his graduation in 1394 / 1974 AD, and progressed in his work there until he became an Assistant Undersecretary for Internal Media Affairs.

Diverse content:

In his stories, Alwan expresses several worlds belonging to the village at times, to the city at other times, and to the self sometimes. In his stories, he does not intend to present a certain world, experience, or character, but he presents the elements of the story in an integrated way, which calls for searching for a special vision, which he found in including paradoxes in narrative structures.

The list of his stories published between 1977-2020 AD includes the following collections: Bread and Silence, The Story Starts Like This, Damisah, Telephone, One of Them, The Dinner Bird

Alwan believes that some novel writers in Saudi Arabia have a wealth of production and may publish a novel every year or every six months, but this production does not rise to the reader's hunger because of the low content. He believes that for more than five years he has been slow in writing his first novel, and is careful in issuing the work, because writing a novel - according to him - is not an easy matter that some writers have taken lightly in recent years.

Tone of Sincerity:

In his introduction to the first collection of Muhammad Alwan (Bread and Silence), the great short story writer and novelist Yahya Haqqi wrote: But after reading his collection twice, I became aware of the human being even if I was ignorant of his person and form. His image emerged to me with complete clarity and distinctness, which I was not used to in those I wrote to and knew. Is this proof that communication only takes place in the world of art, the world of visions and illusion as I said? How did this happen? Because the tone of honesty in these stories is clear and undeniable. Honesty for the sake of honesty alone. He did not reach honesty through craft by following established rules of form, but rather reached craft through honesty. Craft is necessary in art, but honesty is still the only way to it. He does not compose a story out of a hunt for a subject or pride in the skill of narrating an entertaining tale, or delight in the ability of imagination, while remaining preoccupied with the chronological or anatomical arrangement of the story's members, but rather to vent the concerns that fill his soul and gnaw at him until his spirit almost passes, and with disclosure comes a deceptive recovery because the disease is chronic and overwhelming. He did not intend the arrangement, so he was rewarded in the end – instead of reprimand – by a plot that voluntarily came to establish his story in a thoughtful, coordinated structure, springing from and pouring into one another – a plot that is necessary for every artistic work .

The poet and media figure Muhammad Abes says about him: Muhammad Alwan is a great figure in the sky of Saudi literature and culture, a writer devoted to the short story, a comprehensive intellectual, a talented media professional, a distinguished and influential official, and a noble human being who takes initiative and loves everyone and is close to the different generations and supportive of the youth among them, and a greedy follower of the publications they publish, and he asks about them and their news constantly.

The memory during the many sessions in terms of time and place is full of his human aesthetics, deep discussions, sarcastic responses, intimate comments, brilliant presence, quick wit, wonderful humor, broad-mindedness and his constant inquiry about others, following up on their work and standing with them when needed.

Perhaps the follower of modern social media, including (Twitter), notices his beautiful presence in his positions, tweets, comments and choices that are wrapped in love for the homeland, human and creativity wherever and however it may be.

Mohammed Alwan is a man of extensive and varied relations in the fields of literature, culture, media and arts, whether at the level of song, theater or drama, and society, and above all, a great lover and adorer of the precious homeland.