Lack of Official Support Impacts the Future of Literature and Writers in Yemen

Yasmine Abdulhafeez – Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)

During the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which has cast its shadow on all aspects of life, including the cultural and artistic elements in various regions of the country, writers have also been affected. The conflict has forced many writers to leave their homeland, leaving behind a cultural scene suffering from deep wounds, seeking an environment where they can find opportunities to achieve their aspirations and creativity.

On the other hand, many writers have been forced by material circumstances to stay in their homeland. They have abandoned the field and have become preoccupied with finding a living after the country’s economic conditions have become extremely difficult. Their creations are no longer a priority for a society that has become more concerned with the necessities of life than reading, in addition to the marginalization of creatives by concerned parties and the lack of attention and support for them.

The Current Weak State of Literature

Many Yemeni writers have been affected by the intentional neglect of concerned parties. They no longer have any significant work or support.

This was confirmed by the poet Rajih Habili, who says: “The deterioration of the country’s economic situation has cast its shadow on all aspects of life and has affected the situation of literature and writers in Yemen. The lack of any significant activity to revive the literary reality in Yemen has led to a significant weakening of the reality of literature in Yemen. There are no activities, no competitions, no awards, and no printing of books.”

As a result of the conflict, official institutions responsible for encouraging literature have no role to play. They have closed their doors to creative poets, novelists, short story writers, and others. Publishing houses have stopped operating, and many public libraries have closed. Even the Ministry of Culture and the General Authority for Books held many events and printed hundreds of books. But in 2014, it all came to an end.

Many libraries have been converted into offices for school supplies. Among them are Abu Dhar Library in Sanaa, September 26^th Library in Al-Hodeidah, Al-Fikr Library, Al-Irshad Library, and other libraries across the country. They no longer contain books, magazines, or newspapers. Despite this, some libraries are still operating, offering a limited number of books, although they have few visitors.

Yemeni writers have told various media outlets that literary production in Yemen has decreased significantly compared to what it was before the conflict. They said that the cultural scene was flourishing before, with many books being published and distributed at several exhibitions and libraries. Society was interested in reading and knowledge. However, as a result of the current situation, the cultural scene has significantly declined, both in terms of the activity of writers and the extent to which citizens are interested in reading and buying books.

The Absence of Official Institutions’ Role

As a result of the weak role of official institutions whose main task is to pay attention to literature and creators in Yemen and encourage them, the production of writers has declined in recent years. This has negatively affected the cultural and artistic movement in the country. Their presence at events and festivals is limited to a few who found a supportive environment in the countries they emigrated to.

Poet Muhammad Ismail, a member of the Yemeni Writers Union, says: “The absence of an official role has affected the reality of Yemeni literature, as external literary and artistic participation has largely ceased, except in rare cases where interested sponsors are available. It has also stopped hosting and organizing artistic, cultural, and tourist events in Yemen.”

He added: “The organization of internal cultural and artistic events has declined significantly due to the lack of official support from concerned institutions, such as the Ministry of Culture, the Yemeni Writers Union, the theater, and various official artistic institutions. This, in turn, has led to the emergence of limited community initiatives that provide special funding for this field, which paints a bleak picture of the reality of the cultural sector amid the conflict.”

In her view, story writer Rania Abdul-Karim Al-Shaukani states: “The absence of official support for literature and culture in Yemen has significantly impacted the literary landscape in various ways, particularly financial support, which is crucial at this time. These entities no longer allocate budgets to support writers and literary and cultural projects, leading to limited opportunities for authors, especially young ones just starting their literary journeys. Many face difficulties in publishing their works or dedicating time to future writings, causing numerous talented voices that could shape Yemen’s literary future to be buried under financial strain.”

She continues: “There’s also been a decline in official sponsorship for literary events and a lack of dedicated venues, which restricts their occurrence to specific times. The opportunities for communication among writers, and between them and their readers, have diminished, further contributing to the decline of Yemen’s literary scene.”

She adds: “Despite this, writers in the Story Club in Sana’a and Dhamar have managed to withstand the challenges facing Yemen by organizing events and securing venues through their own efforts. This is a wonderful initiative for bringing literature and its generations together under one roof. We hope that soon these efforts, which represent Yemen’s hope and future, will receive attention and support.”

She notes that the lack of official support has also affected the reach of Yemeni books, as many remain locked away without internal promotion in Yemeni provinces or at the Arab level and participation in international fairs.

She sees a significant gap in translating and sharing Yemen’s unique literary culture with foreign readers eager to know more about Yemen. “This weakens the Yemeni cultural movement even though Yemen has much to offer the world. On the other hand, some external entities are working to translate Yemeni works to preserve their heritage and introduce them to interested parties in their countries, which is an important step. However, we, Yemenis, are more deserving of this.”

She emphasized that the absence of official support has also led to a lack of guarantees for freedom of expression, making many writers vulnerable to censorship and repression, which limits their ability to address sensitive societal issues, resulting in literature being directed rather than authentic. This dilutes its essence and allows some voices to dominate while excluding others.

Al-Shawkani underscores the importance of focusing on literature and its creators, as they are the most influential group in Yemen’s present and future, urging more prominent official support, as literature is a crucial pillar of society.

The Official Role Before the Conflict

Journalist and poet Muhammad Al-Jaradi states: “The official institutions responsible for caring for the conditions of literature and writers did not previously suffer from a lack of presence. They have left little behind, and those in charge currently benefit from these circumstances, providing justifications for continuing to neglect any real and effective role they should be taking.”

He adds: “If there has been a clear absence of cultural role concerning literature and writers in all previous stages, with unfortunate consequences across different levels, many true writers found themselves unable to meet their needs and those of their families, leading them to engage in other jobs that stifled their dreams of writing and completing literary projects that the country and future generations deserve. Some even ended up homeless, exhausted, and emotionally drained, ultimately dying unnoticed.”

He continues: “The surge of active literary and cultural movement from the 1970s to the early 1990s was a result of the enthusiasm of writers who had the chance to act responsibly within emerging cultural institutions. Unfortunately, these efforts have not fully unfolded as they should have in subsequent stages up to the present.”

He remarks: “When we discuss the effects of the absence of official roles for institutions concerned with literature and writers, we speak of a stifled literary scene, forcibly halted, except for individual acts of resistance led by writers continuing their projects without any official support or care. This is evident in the ongoing production, printing, and publishing of literary works.”

He believes that discussing the absence of official roles concerning literature means addressing hundreds of writers crushed by life, facing dual hardships in their lives, their families, displacement, homelessness, hunger, and illness.

Societal Efforts

“Tam Cultural Foundation” is a non-profit organization that kicked off in 2019 under the hashtag “Together Against Marginalization.” It aims to provide support for creators who have been marginalized and ignored in different parts of Yemen, including writers. In 2024, the foundation expanded its activities to focus on the literary and artistic spheres, empowering these fields.

Najat Shamsan, the head of the foundation, sheds light on the foundation’s key activities, stating: “We target known writers and artists, publishing their works through competitions covering all governorates. In 2024, we launched a poetry collection competition, taking it online to ensure announcements reached all governorates. Seventy-six poets submitted their works, and four poets from various governorates emerged as winners.”

She continues: “Observing the overwhelming number of applicants, we decided to publish a collection featuring poets from across Yemen. We printed a collection titled ‘Anthologies in the Sanctuary of Tam,’ encompassing a vast number of poets, to highlight the remarkable achievements of Yemeni poets despite the hardships, pushing them towards further production and creativity. We launched the ‘Poet of the Republic’ competition that same year, with a large number of participants from different governorates. This competition spanned three stages, with eliminations leading to the final five positions.”

Shamsan attributes the foundation’s inception to the need for attention and care among many writers who faced neglect from government institutions, primarily responsible for such matters.

She points to other activities, including a short story competition for high school students. The first stage was held in Taiz to discover young storytelling talents and highlight them. The competition was conducted in three stages, including a training session during the competition stages to introduce students to the art of writing short stories. This proved to be a transformative experience, impacting their writing styles before and after the training.

She adds: “We are currently working on honoring numerous literary talents, aiming to bring them to the attention of official entities. We are in the process of coordinating the launch of a theatrical competition for aspiring talents.”

Despite these accomplishments, the foundation faces several challenges. Shamsan summarizes them as: “Funding is the biggest obstacle for programs, especially since Tam Foundation targets all governorates, requiring enormous budgets. This is crucial for advancing to the second stage of the short story competition, targeting students in Sana’a, Aden, Hodeidah, Ibb, and Marib governorates.”

In conclusion, reviving the cultural scene in Yemen demands the collective efforts of all stakeholders, from the state and civil society to the creators themselves. Creating a safe and encouraging environment for creativity is crucial, providing necessary financial and logistical support for creators and cultural institutions.