Comments on: Leaving Oman

By: Sweden Fars News

Sweden Fars News — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:12:39 +0000

I really impressed by your post. Thank you for this great information.

By: Enemies of Free Speech « Qunfuz

Enemies of Free Speech « Qunfuz — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:53:43 +0000

[...] after slaughtering them was certainly understandable, but was aimed at the wrong target. I lived in Oman at the time, where the state-appointed Mufti as well as editorials in the state-controlled press [...]

By: curiously cheezy

curiously cheezy — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:35:00 +0000

hi. i loved your post. i thought it was well written and beautifully expressed. such a shame that people like you have to leave

By: Abu Kareem

Abu Kareem — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Qunfuz,

Got your book yesterday; it seems to have made it across the pond in record time. Excellent read so far, I can't put it down. I will definitely give you a full impression when I am done.

By: Naji

Naji — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:18:00 +0000

Summer Events at the London Review Bookshop
Breaking Through: Syrian Writers in Conversation and Performance

Tuesday 8 July at 7.00 pm

Four Syrian poets, Hala Mohammed, Monzer Masri, Rasha Omran and Lukman Derky – who are also a film-maker, a painter, a journalist/scriptwriter and an arts festival director – will be in conversation on writing, publishing and the arts in Syria today – and in performance. The event will include readings of poems newly translated for the latest issue of Banipal, which includes a major feature on contemporary Syrian literature.

In association with Banipal. Banipal subscribers receive a discount on tickets for this event.

http://www.lrbshop.co.uk/product.php?productid=4121&cat=37

I think this is the first time I see SYRIAN writing or art identified as its own genre… and at a “prestigous mainstream” event in London…!! (You even have to pay!!) Cool, huh…?! Amazing, actually…!! Where is our Qunfuz…?!

By: mn89

mn89 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:50:00 +0000

It's great to read such an article; thanks for it!!

You were one of my favourite, kind, easy-going and fair teachers:] Hope you have some visits to Oman in future.

By: qunfuz

qunfuz — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Thanks Shai, Abu Kareem and Naji for your comments. Naji – I didn’t intend to write an ‘ethnocentric’ novel. I don’t think it is ethnocentric in fact, although it’s being marketed and read that way. There are Arab characters, and they’re in London so they do worry about their ethnicity, but there are also non-Arab characters. I think it’s a novel about God, history, men and women, growing up ..etc. Anyway, I’d like to hear what you think when you’ve read it.
I’m going to be at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 12th, paired with a writer called Muhammad Hanif. I haven’t read his book yet. I will, and I expect it to be good. But when I saw the name I said to a friend ‘am I being pigeonholed?’ The friend said, ‘yes, but that’s how books are sold.’
Fair enough. It doesn’t bother me yet.

By: Naji

Naji — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Beautiful writing by a beautifully cosmopolitan writer... a true voice of the future at its brightest outlook...!

Must rush to buy the first novel, although I can't imagine it being any good…!! Against all the wisdom to the contrary, I usually judge a book by its cover… and I don't like the cover of this book, in title or design…!! I also don't usually like this type of novel… ethnocentric and "about" something…, but I think you certainly are a master essayist and an extremely sensitive, perceptive, noble spirit of a future long for…

Sorry for such a conceited comment, but there you have it…and I meant well…!

By: Abu Kareem

Abu Kareem — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:49:00 +0000

Found it! just ordered a copy from Amazon.UK

By: Abu Kareem

Abu Kareem — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:35:00 +0000

Makes me want to visit Oman; I need to make it back to Syria first. Also, congratulations on the publication of your novel. Can I purchase the book online? I could not find it listed on Amazon.