Yemen’s Economic Reality Casts a Shadow on Literature

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

Yemen’s economy has been rapidly collapsing for nearly a decade. Years of conflict have pushed the country to the brink in all sectors, and millions of Yemenis are suffering from extreme poverty, difficult economic conditions, rising food and medicine prices, and a lack of job opportunities. Daily life has become a constant struggle for survival, and the main concern for the Yemeni citizen is to secure a livelihood for their family.

Literature in Yemen is one of the fields that has been severely affected. Economic conditions have led to a decline in literary production on the local scene, with writers finding themselves in a whirlwind of searching for a living. There has also been a decline in the demand for books and publications from citizens who are also facing tough economic conditions.

The Relationship Between Literature and Economics

“Economics and literature are closely intertwined; because economic conditions affect the lives of writers and their ability to create and produce literary works.” This is according to journalist and poet Fathi Abi Al-Nasr.

He says: “When a country suffers from economic crises, writers often face severe financial pressure. This can limit their ability to focus on writing or publishing their work. Yemeni writers are among the most affected groups due to the deteriorating economic situation, the prevalence of poverty and unemployment, and other repercussions that affect their ability to express themselves artistically and limit the opportunities available to them, both in publishing their work and earning a living.”

He continues: “The economic impact on literature is evident in literary works through the topics covered, such as poverty, hunger, conflict, and deprivation. Writers express this suffering in their writing.”

Literature in various countries around the world has been able to convey the economic situation of those countries through novels, stories, poetry, and various texts. Literature has discussed the material conditions in which humans live, how they face challenges as a result of these conditions, how poverty has affected their social lives and their relationships with others, and other topics related to the economic aspect of the citizen, which many writers have addressed in their literary works.
In Yemen, the economic conditions that the country is going through have greatly affected the works of Yemeni writers. The economic conditions in Yemen have produced many works that have addressed the impact of economic conditions on Yemeni society, which has negatively impacted the lives of many families in various Yemeni governorates.

The short story collection ‘This is How They Die’ addresses the economic situation of many Yemeni families who find it difficult to meet their basic needs, as is the case with the protagonist of ‘The Shoe’ story, one of the stories written by the author Fikria Shuhra.

The story of the shoe revolves around the child Ahmad, who found it difficult to get money to buy shoes, which made him think about how to get shoes. If he had not been afraid of being cursed by others, which would have prevented him from achieving his dreams, he would have gone to the door of a mosque and stolen someone’s shoes.

But he decided to collect plastic bottles and sell them to earn money to buy shoes. While he was digging through the garbage piles in one of the streets, a woman passed by and asked Ahmad what he was looking for. When he told her about his problem, she gave him some money and told him that he was a student, and this was not his place after she saw his bag hanging from his back. After he returned to his mother, he asked her to accompany him to the market and she agreed. The mother and child’s joy were not complete and ended with a terrorist incident that killed them.
Journalist Rasheed Al-Haddad says: “Yemeni literature has addressed economic and humanitarian issues that are related to the suffering of the people,” citing verses from one of Barduni’s most famous poems in which he said:

“Why do I have hunger and you have bombing?” Hunger begs me to beg you.

I plant my field and you harvest it; you get drunk on my sweat from your sickle.

Why? And in your grasp are treasures; You extend to my morsel that you own.

You eat my hunger and claim, to be honest; Did the thief ever become a king?

Why do you prevail over my misery? Answer my question even if it embarrasses you.

Al-Haddad adds, “Even in Yemeni folk music, you can find images of the human suffering from the reality of the people. For example, there’s a rural song that reflects the reality of rural life due to the economic hardship that people in the countryside face. Like the song by the artist Abdul-Basit Absi. The lyrics of this song tell the story of a woman who works hard to survive and how she is burdened by work, especially with her husband being abroad.”

He continues, “There is the song ‘Ya Haris Al-Bun Bushra,’ and even the song ‘Al-Bala Wa Al-Laila Al-Bala,’ which talks about the suffering of Yemenis and the migration of Yemeni expatriates to Ethiopia for work. These songs and others confirm that Yemeni literature plays a very significant role in conveying economic issues and reflecting the economic and living realities of Yemenis throughout history. The only period in which Yemen witnessed relative economic stability was during the time that President Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Hamdi ruled the country.”

He emphasizes that literature has played a major role in reflecting the suffering of Yemenis in terms of economics in recent years. He notes that there has been no literary work during this period that talks about wealth in Yemen or a good economic standard. There are national anthems and songs specific to farmers and workers, but they offer them a kind of motivation and encouragement that are broadcast in specific seasons, while workers and farmers are left to face hardship and numerous difficulties and challenges without being paid any attention or the implementation of policies aimed at improving their situation and livelihood.

Al-Haddad believes that Yemeni literature might be 70% about the suffering of the Yemeni people due to economic conditions throughout history.

The Literary Novel and Economic Theory

Writer Musa Hiba believes that the novel is that beautiful narrative space through which the reader connects emotionally and sentimentally with the lives of people, in all their social, political, and economic details. There are many ways in which the literary novel and economics intersect. Many novels contain economic themes as a tool for exploring the impact of economic systems, the effects of capital, and many other economic ideologies, as in the novel “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare, which dealt with various economic aspects alongside love and justice.

He adds, “Many economists have become increasingly interested in developing their economy by gaining knowledge through reading. Numerous studies confirm the importance of benefiting from the literary novel to build and develop economic theory.”

Musa Hiba emphasizes that the importance of the novel in the theory of economic development lies in enriching knowledge and culture. When science and literature shine, then society will overcome the effects of backwardness, erase ignorance, and the country’s economy will recover.

Economic journalist Nabil Al-Shar’abi says, “Artistic expressions are helpful factors in bringing about economic change. However, this is a result of the society’s awareness of the positive economic impact of artistic expression, as was the case in pre-Islamic times in what they called the annual ‘Ukaz Festival.’ This was in poetry, but the case of the novel is different, as it is complex, and its artistic structure makes it difficult to deal with it in the same way poetry is dealt with.”

He continues, “But the novel can be employed, although with difficulty, in developing societal awareness by writing novels aimed at developing economic awareness, with a focus on presenting practical models from real life or fiction, provided that they are consistent with the nature of society and its reality. These novels can be translated realistically.”

He believes that the art of the novel can be used to expose practices that negatively affect the economic reality of a country or its history, as in the novel “The Guardian of Shadows” by Algerian novelist Wasini Al-A’arj, in which he presents a model of the catastrophic “black decade,” as they call it, that almost ravaged Algeria from 1984 to 1994.

He points out that in “The Guardian of Shadows,” the novelist reveals the trade of officials in Algeria’s history and its effects, dedicating a large space to delving into this area, providing a holistic vision of how conflicts in countries are exploited by officials, traders, and others to engage in criminal activities that damage a country’s economy, its assets, and its stability.

He adds, “From this standpoint, one can write about the looting and destruction of resources that any country undergoes, as well as the flooding of the country with rotten goods, debt, and the trading of its suffering. This can be written in a novelistic style instead of being dealt with in the superficial, quick, and immediate way that media coverage does.”

The Economic Struggles Facing Yemeni Writers

Al-Shar’abi says, “The conflicts have cast a long economic shadow over writers’ lives. The government has stopped supporting them, and the Ministry of Culture no longer assists. Publishing houses and literary and cultural events have also come to a halt. One of the biggest challenges writers face is the lack of emotional and mental stability due to their poor financial situation. Mental stability allows a writer to produce creatively.”

He believes that the solutions to improving the situation of Yemeni writers lie in the Ministry of Culture paying more attention to them and providing them with both moral and financial support, focusing on publishing houses, opening up cultural centers, reviving cultural and literary events, supporting literary forums, sponsoring competitions, and creating awards to encourage creativity.

Poet Ahmad Abdu Saeed points to some economic challenges facing Yemeni writers, which hinder their creativity and work development. These challenges include ongoing conflicts and disputes that negatively affect economic and cultural life, the difficulty of obtaining funding for their literary work from the government or the private sector, the decline of the publishing industry, the lack of opportunities in writing, and the need to find a full-time job, which leads to limited income.

He emphasizes the need to face these challenges by joining forces with relevant authorities, the local community, and the international community to support writers and contribute to developing literary culture in Yemen.