Uncovering history through storytelling

Recently, I had the chance to sit down and talk to Reem Bassiouney, professor and head of the Linguistics Department at American University in Cairo, editor of The Edinburgh Journal with a focus on Arabic sociolinguistics, and the editor of Routledge Studies Series on Language and Identity. She is also the winner of the Literature Award category of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2024, which she received for her novel Al Halwani...Thulathiyat al-Fatimiyeen (Nahdet Misr Publishing, Printing and Distribution, 2022).

We started off by talking about the effort behind this prestigious award. When asked about it, Bassiouney describes it as "almost equivalent to a Nobel prize." Laughing nervously afterwards, she says, "It is a lot of pressure on a writer. Now there's no going back—I have to continue to be diligent and research to make sure that I can maintain the quality of my writing. While [it is] such an honour, it is also such a big responsibility."

The conversation then led to what this award means for the writers in this part of the world. Considering that for the longest time, the biggest and most well-known awards have only ever really been limited to the other side of the world, the importance of such recognition for writers in these regions—where we have just as much to say—goes without saying. And Bassiouney, being a researcher of society and linguistics, attested to this. She explained, "For a long time, people haven't paid attention to the creativity and invention here. To highlight our work, to give access to our innovators, musicians, artists and writers. To recognise their contributions. We need to give them access to a wider audience. We influence countries all around us. We need to be much more visible. We are doing great stuff that people around the world should be aware of. And this prize is trying to do this. Highlighting language, [which is] an essential part of identity, and how it contributes to humanity."

Bringing attention to the impact that these contributions have had on today's world is a theme that Bassiouney explores in her books. This inspiration was drawn from her research on the relationship between history, identity, and language. "My work as a researcher has made it very easy for me to have access. Writing historical fiction isn't easy. One needs very rigorous research. One has to be close to the character, to try and understand them, their life, and how it developed over time," she explained. Bassiouney spoke of her fascination with mediaeval periods in the Islamic world. A recurring message in her answers was her wish to educate and inform. "They were extraordinarily rich in terms of science, architecture, history, language. Yet, we know very little about them." 

Attempting to teach an audience without a pre-existing interest in history about the people and events from hundreds and thousands of years ago is not an easy task. Throw in the fact that this history is not even one that belongs to the same country as theirs, let alone the same region, and you've lost them already. This constitutes a disconnect larger than ever. Bassiouney explained, "I think novels are an easy way to do this. It's human experience, and it helps readers build an emotional connection to see the human aspect of history. Through love stories or tragic ones, it finds the human parts of you, touching something inside you."

Story, throughout history, has always been the best teacher. It gives us access to readers, people, of all backgrounds. People, as Bassiouney reiterates, are really all the same. Everywhere. She drew attention to this disconnect by quoting a mediaeval scholar well known in her world: "People are always the enemy of what they don't know." She then went on to expand on this, "It is only when you start understanding and knowing that can you sympathise, respect, and feel. Only then can you realise that humanity, ultimately, is all the same, and that we all have so much in common."

The importance of this topic can never be emphasised enough. The essence of divide, racism, sexism, and any form of prejudice, only really comes from a place where there is a lack of empathy. "Human empathy and respect—it's what's most important. To respect everyone's contributions to what humanity is today," she said. 

This conversation served as a reminder of the importance of literature. Of art. Of how it is a direct representation of a community and a culture that otherwise might be foreign to the rest of the world. It is the most authentic, honest, and true way to capture the essence of humanity, thus making stories the best teachers of them all.

When asked about how she tackled the effects of cultural gaps and how they might impact narratives or the ability for readers to connect with characters that come from such different backgrounds, she explained that historical fiction, especially the mediaeval kind, tends to be a safer bet. "Historical fiction is already alien, to people from the same culture as well as those from other cultures. Everyone knows to go into it knowing to expect something different."

It is with this very hope that she wrote the award-winning novel, hoping to pass along a piece of history with her characters. But that is not all that her book explores: "There is sadness, loss, war, violence and famine. Over a 200-year trilogy, we follow one family. I want my readers to feel involved with the family, to experience what they do through their challenges and adversities. And how, even through it all, they found happiness. In the smallest things."

Finding the silver lining, the small happinesses that come with the hardships of life is a major theme in her book. One of these silver linings is the emphasis she places on sweets. "What is most important is the ephemeral yet sublime wonder of the sweets. We can create desserts that somehow make us so happy, and the recipes go on for a hundred years. And that's why it's called the halwa maker—or the sweet maker—which is exactly what Al Halwani means.

We then moved on to the slightly lighter topic of Bassiouney's writing process. "I don't outline, but I do end up having at least 25 different drafts," she laughed. "However, I do make sure to outline the historical timeline. Accuracy is important in this genre, and so I do need to have some sense of the chronological events that unfold." While her drafting system is a blend of pantsing and outlining, her process with her characters has a wild charm to it. "You won't believe it, but my characters develop themselves!" She explained in a sort of disbelief herself that would make anyone smile. "I start with a character expecting them to have a marginal role or act a specific way—but they'll end up becoming a major role! Sometimes, I'll have a plan for how the character is meant to end up, but then as the story progresses, the character will have a mind of their own and end up somewhere different."

I then asked whether her characters led her story or things happened the other way around. "Both," she explained, "It can't just be either. The story and the characters work together. I'm a firm believer in a good plot. I don't think it's enough to have a good character. If you don't have a story to highlight the character, there's no point in having a good one."

When asked about her favourite character, Bassiouney gushed about Badr Al-Gammali, a character from Al Halwani. "This character was so intriguing to write. He's not black and white. He doesn't always act in a conventional way—you don't quite know if what he's doing is right or wrong. He's subtle. You read the novel and you like him very much, but you're not sure you'd be doing the same in his position." She then reflected on the importance of his role in history. "He's a character in history that is very, very important and yet has been totally ignored. It's such a pity that he wasn't highlighted in our history books or any other fiction. In fact, I may have been the first person to write about him."

As we began to wrap up, I asked Bassiouney what was next for her, what she planned on working on, and what her readers could expect. She once again let out a laugh and said, "I'm researching still, trying to find my next project. But it'll come to me!"

Syeda Erum Noor is devoted to learning about the craft of writing and is an avid reader who can talk endlessly about the magic of books. Reach her on Instagram at @syedaerumnoorwrites.