History of Literature South of Saudi Arabia

The History of Literature South of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia refers to the literary movement southwest of Saudi Arabia, which was influenced by Arabic literature in general and by its counterpart in other regions of Saudi Arabia, particularly the Hejaz, due to its geographical proximity. Prominent figures emerged from the south in the fields of poetry and other literary forms, such as essays and short stories, encompassing both traditional and modern literary schools.

Influencing factors on literature south of Saudi Arabia

Literary life south of Saudi Arabia was influenced by the various forms of literature that evolved alongside modern Arabic literature. Contemporary writers in Tihamah and Aseer took the initiative to embrace new literary cultures. Political movements also had a distinct impact, manifesting in their ideas and renewing their literary expression, contributing to the formation of the present-day Saudi literature. Writers in the south were not isolated from the printed books and periodicals that reached them from the Hejaz, such as the newspapers Umm Al-Qura, Sawt Al-Hejaz, and the journal Adab Al-Hejaz, among others. Literary renewal in the southern region began its course in the second half of the twentieth century.

Poets of southern Saudi Arabia

The influence of various literary schools is evident in the works of contemporary literary pioneers south of Saudi Arabia, such as the literary output of Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Aqili, Mohammed Ali Al-Sanousi, Mohammed Zare' Aqil, and others. However, the traditional spirit of southern literature remains noticeable in its imagery, vocabulary, and artistic character. This has evolved into a literary approach that blends these elements. The region’s writers are recognized for their distinct literary talent, demonstrated in their ability to combine inherited literary traditions with a refined sense and awareness of the literary works of their time. The modern southern literary movement emerged prominently in poetry, essays, and short stories.

Poetic styles in southern Saudi Arabia

Poets of the south have consistently preserved the traditions of the Arabic poem, adhering to its methods and embodying its themes. The traditional spirit is clearly evident in their poems, where the classical structure of Arabic poetry is revealed through their fusion of styles from both flourishing and weaker literary periods. They also adopted newly introduced poetic forms and elaborate linguistic constructions, blending multiple poetic styles. Among the poets whose work exemplified this approach are Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, Ibrahim Bin Zain Al-Abideen Al-Hafthi, and Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Humaid, among others who maintained a classical and traditional style.

Later, poets were influenced by the classical and romantic movements that emerged in Egypt and spread across much of the Arab world, impacting imitation, development, parallelism, and innovation in poetic composition. Al-Sanousi led the revival of heritage using refined and powerful language; in addition to the influence of his cultural environment in Tihamah, he nurtured his literary sensibility through his first source—his father's library, which specialized in Islamic sciences.

Toward the end of the 1980s, a number of poets emerged, including Yahya Ibrahim Al-Alma’i and Zaher Bin Awad Al-Alma’i. Yahya’s poetry leaned toward praise, elegy, and poetry for formal occasions, while Zaher’s poetry reflected a conservative school with themes of nature, praise, and elegy, marked by rhetorical and declarative styles.