The Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the scientific dictionaries dedicated to recognizing Saudi writers in the Kingdom. It was supervised by the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah). The first edition of the dictionary was published in 2007 by Dar al-Shorouk in Cairo, consisting of 640 large-sized pages. It included one thousand entries, of which eighty-eight entries were dedicated to Saudi literature and writers.
After the release of the initial dictionary, the idea of issuing a new dictionary specifically focused on literature and writers in the Kingdom emerged. Dr. Mohammed al-Rubaie, an advisor at the King Abdulaziz Foundation, conducted a survey and developed a general conception of the subject. This effort culminated in the proposal to publish the Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom.
The dictionary serves as a documentation of the Saudi literary movement. It chronicles the emergence of literary clubs, cultural awards, the beginnings of literary genres in the Kingdom, and their pioneers, both men and women. It also records the biographies of Saudi writers, providing a literary perspective on their works and intellectual contributions. Additionally, it presents the components of the literary and cultural context in the Kingdom.
History of writing the Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom
In 2002, Dr. Hamdi al-Sakout, a professor at the American University in Cairo and the supervisor of the preparation of the "Dictionary of (Modern) Arabic Literature," wrote a letter to the King Abdulaziz Foundation. In this letter, he requested assistance in preparing materials specific to the literature and writers of the Kingdom and the Gulf countries, provided that the foundation bears costs related to preparing these materials. The foundation welcomed the idea due to the importance of the project and its role in introducing the writers of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf. As a result, a scientific committee was formed, which proposed the materials and assigned several writers and critics to prepare and review these materials. The materials were then sent to the American University in Cairo to be included in the dictionary.
The dictionary, in its three volumes, contains over nine hundred entries, including male and female writers and poets in various genres such as poetry, short stories, novels, essays, theater, translation, autobiography, literary studies, as well as specialized newspapers, magazines, associations, literary and cultural clubs, significant books, pioneering novels, literary awards, and everything related to writers and literature.
Stages of work on the Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom
The Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom went through several stages before its publication, including:
Phase one: Developing the technical and formal specifications and requirements for writing the entries.
Stage two: Developing and approving the list of dictionary entries.
Phase three: Nominating participants for writing the entries.
Stage four: Commissioning the nominated writers and monitoring their progress.
Stage five: Submitting the entries to reviewers.
Stage six: Formulating the entries.
Stage seven: Organizing the entries and preparing the introductions and indexes.
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