AUK Literature Class Welcomes Leila Al-Uthman

The American University of Kuwait's 'Women and Literature' class, taught by Professor Rawda Awwad welcomed famed Kuwaiti author Leila Al-Uthman, giving the students a rare opportunity to personally meet the author of books they had analyzed in class.

Al-Uthman has been writing for over 40 years and hopes 'to write for a good many more years too'. Author of books such as 'The Silent Butterflies,' a novel, and short stories like 'The Picture', as well as experimental texts in Arabic, and an active member of the local writer's guild, Al-Uthman's writing was deemed controversial at times, forcing her to go to court on several occasions.

While addressing the class she said that meeting with the author of something you've read may either hugely disappoint or further interest you in their writing. 'What the author writes of does not often perfectly relate to the nature of the author, their behavior, and so on,' she added. She also explained that it was ultimately better to be the author who expresses the feelings and captures the experiences at the heart of the Arab streets, that of the real people, and not those of philosophers in ivory towers. 

Al-Uthman donated copies of most of her publications, the novels and short story collections alike, to the AUK Library, hoping that interested students may understand her thoughts as one Arab woman writing in Kuwait, and become more familiar with the body of literature produced by local artists and authors.

Written by Nur Soliman and edited by the AUK PR & Marketing Department