‘History in Literature and Art’ symposium provides highlight at Writers and Readers Festival in Asir

A “History in Literature and Art” symposium organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission formed part of the Writers and Readers Festival that concluded on Wednesday in Khamis Mushayt in the Asir region of the Kingdom.

The event, which featured Saudi novelist Abeer Al-Remal and writer Faisal Al-Sarhan, was moderated by Faisal Al-Shahrani and looked at historic moments that had helped shape literary works and aid their impact on society.

Al-Remal said that people interested in history should explore it through the works of novelists, poets, and artists as they presented contexts often overlooked by historians.

Al-Remal said: “Literary narrative has a great role in preserving history as it documents cultural and human experiences, and provides a deep vision of historical facts.”

The novelist’s three works, “The Desert Scandal,” “If We Are Ghosts” and “Al-Jass,” tell the story of the Najd and the western region in the 18th century amid famines, wars, and poverty.

Al-Sarhan said that the backdrop of history had helped transform the expression of emotion within novels. The writer focused on the novel and history in storytelling, and argued that history itself provided a narrative.

The festival celebrated local and international writers through literary meetings, concerts, the performing arts, art exhibitions, and interactive shows.