Sultan Al-Obaid - Riyadh

Professor of Ancient Literature at the College of Arts, King Saud University, Dr. Noura Salih Al-Shamlan, seeks to formulate a new reading of the concept of Arab heritage. She believes we do not need more stories, because history has guaranteed us the right to present our cultural heritage as our most precious possession. Stories of Arab chivalry, generosity, poetry and bravery act as triggers to read history as if written for the first time. In her new research, she highlights models like Abu Firas al-Hamdani, who combined courage and poetry until he was killed in 375 AH. He represents the Arab model who occupied people with his life, from the loss of his father to his captivity and death at the hands of his cousins. Another model is Al-Mutanabbi, the symbol of the poet whose poetry led to his end due to the famous verse: "The horse, the night, and the desert know me / And the sword, the spear, the paper, and the pen." Dr. Noura argues that Al-Mutanabbi's obsession with glory made critics mistake his poems for simple ghazals, while they actually reflected a longing for leadership. She also examines Abu Nuwas, balancing images of "temptation" and "guidance" in his life. Despite his reputation for debauchery, he often remembered the inevitable end of man and sought repentance. Dr. Al-Shamlan wants to show that the aesthetic dimension in Arab poetry centers on the level of honesty in dealing with vital issues of life. Her latest book, "Low-Hanging Fruits" (Qutouf Daniya), published by Dar Al-Khuloud in Beirut, attempts to simplify academic research for the modern reader who is distracted by the information revolution.