Mohammad Abdul-Wali

A collection of short stories and one novella by a muwallad, a Yemeni of mixed (Arab and Ethiopian) descent, largely taking place in Ethiopia. The stories mostly focus on the experiences, challenges, and ordeals of Yemeni exiles. I enjoyed the novella a great deal and a few of the stories; others struck me as unfinished, incomplete somehow, and unconvincing. Abdul Wali had much to say (he died at the age of 33 in 1973) and I don’t know whether there is other work out there, translated or not. Works by Yemeni writers translated into English are pretty uncommon (my only other experience of a Yemeni writer is Zayd Mutee Dammaj’s The Hostage); it would be nice to be able to read more of them, to have a better sense of the country and its peoples. For those interested in Yemeni literature, you may find this article and this article of interest.… (mehr)