Wry, satirical and bawdy, Tamer's stories are always informed by his dark view of humanity and of Syrian society in particular. Through these glimpses of corrupt, fearful lives under a violent dictatorship, it is possible to discern echoes of the storm that has brought Syria to near-disintegration.
Set against the backdrop of the Syrian neighborhood of al-Qaweyq, this collection features fifty-nine satirical short stories that explore the lives of characters living on the fringes of society. Through a lens of humor and defiance, the author highlights the ironies of life under an oppressive regime, particularly focusing on the bold women inspired by Arab mythology. The younger generation grapples with inherited cynicism, while the title serves as a poignant metaphor for potential change stifled by unpreparedness.
By several Arab authors: Salwa Bakr, Zakariya Tamer, Abdulah Hakam, Idris al-Saghir, Mohammed Mesud al-Ajami, Abdul Sattar Nassir, Adil Kamil, Hadiya Hussein, and Fakhri Qaawar.With contributions from Srpko Leštarić, who initially translated the works from Arabic into Serbian, Edward Alexander who then translated them into English and the preface by Milena Dragićević Šešić."This short selection of forbidden, censored or harshly criticised stories by contemporary Arab writers of the "middle generation" represents in the best way not only the tradition of storytelling, but also the culture of rebellion and dissent that has long been part of Arab societies.The stories were collected, selected and translated of a period of twelve years as the Serbian editor and translator Srpko Leštarić came across them, and are accompanied by masterful descriptions about the fate of the authors, their texts, and the art of translating from Arabic."At the time of this addition this book is not available for purchase but can be read on the European Cultural Foundation website through the download of a PDF file and you can also order a hardcopy through there: culturalfoundation[.]eu
Unbekannte Geschichten von bekannten Figuren
Sakarija Tamers Geschichten drehen sich allesamt um bekannte historische oder mythische Figuren aus der Geschichte Westasiens in islamischer Zeit. Indem der Autor die Geschichtenerzählerin aus „Tausend und einer Nacht“ Schahrasâd, den blutrünstigen Eroberer Dschingis Chan oder Dschoha, die Eulenspegelfigur, in eine andere Zeit versetzt, sie wider den an sie geknüpften Erwartungen agieren und die Handlung sich teilweise ins Absurde oder gar Groteske entwickeln lässt, verleiht er den Geschichten eine brennende Aktualität.