Rajaa al-Sanea
Encyclopedia
Rajaa al-Sanea is a Saudi
writer who became famous through her novel Girls of Riyadh
, or Banat al-Riyadh. The book was first published in Lebanon in 2005 and in English
in 2007. The book was long-listed for the Dublin Literary Award in 2009. As far as the novel goes, independent critics believe it is simplistic and chaotic in occasions but due to the negative publicity it received when first published and the backing of the liberal lobby in Saudi Arabia, sales figures have been relatively high in this country only.
Al-Sanea grew up in Riyadh
, Saudi Arabia, the daughter of a family of doctors. She currently lives in Chicago
where she is a dental
graduate student. She received her bachelor's degree in Dentistry from King Saud University in 2005.
Her novel and lifestyle have caused controversy especially among the conservative sections of the Saudi society but more liberal-minded individuals considered her a role model.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
writer who became famous through her novel Girls of Riyadh
Girls of Riyadh
Girls of Riyadh, or Banat al-Riyadh, is a novel by Rajaa Alsanea. The book, written in the form of e-mails, recounts the personal lives of four young Saudi girls, Lamees, Michelle , Gamrah, and Sadeem.-Plot summary:...
, or Banat al-Riyadh. The book was first published in Lebanon in 2005 and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 2007. The book was long-listed for the Dublin Literary Award in 2009. As far as the novel goes, independent critics believe it is simplistic and chaotic in occasions but due to the negative publicity it received when first published and the backing of the liberal lobby in Saudi Arabia, sales figures have been relatively high in this country only.
Al-Sanea grew up in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia, the daughter of a family of doctors. She currently lives in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where she is a dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
graduate student. She received her bachelor's degree in Dentistry from King Saud University in 2005.
Her novel and lifestyle have caused controversy especially among the conservative sections of the Saudi society but more liberal-minded individuals considered her a role model.
External links
- Rajaa Alsanea's Official Website
- Interviews "The Girls of Riyadh" Author Rajaa Alsanea
- Court Rejects Case Against Rajaa Alsanea
- "Sex and the Saudi Girl" feature in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
8 July 2007