Sudanese novelist Al Tayeb Salih has passed away today in London due to health complications from a kidney condition. Salih was 80 years young.
Sudan has lost a dear citizen, who has contributed tremendously to Sudanese and Arabic literature. His most acclaimed work is the 1966 novel “Season of Migration to the North.” The novel was, at one point, banned in Sudan for its inclusion of sexual imagery, yet it was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Syrian-based Arab Literary Academy in Damascus.
Earlier this year, The General Union for Sudanese Writers, requested Al Tayeb Saleh to be preliminarily nominated to win the 2009 Literature Noble Prize.
Al Tayeb Salih’s death will definitely leave a big void in the Sudanese literary world. He will be greatly missed.
9 Comments
February 18, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Al Tayeb Salih was a great sudanese icon,many of my non-sudanese friends love his novel”season of migration to the north”.
He will truely be missed,may god have mercy on him and may our SUDAN prospor with the birth of many more of him.Ameen
February 19, 2009 at 6:56 am
AlTayib Saleh may Allah have mercy on his soul was voted one of the 100 best novelists of the past 100 years by ‘international’ and not only Arab peers.
‘Season of Migration to the North’ is a 20th-21st Century classic, way ahead of its time and taught from Germany to Lebanon.
It’s sad and unfair that AlTayib Saleh didn’t get the recognition that Naguib Mahfouz got – but underrated, unrecognised brilliance seems to be a Sudanese trait.
The least we can do is to teach ourselves and the coming generations this great Sudanese literary icon’s work.
And life goes on…
February 19, 2009 at 6:58 am
Eu–
Nobody read your comment. If it was a blog post on the other hand….
February 19, 2009 at 11:14 pm
SubhanAllah I just finished reading “The season…” about 4 weeks ago
May Allah swt give him the highest level of Jannah – wallah this man was an icon mashaAllah
February 21, 2009 at 9:48 am
[...] Sudanese Optimist’s blog: Sudan has lost a dear citizen, who has contributed tremendously to Sudanese and Arabic literature. [...]
February 21, 2009 at 10:37 am
[...] Sudanese Optimist is saddened by the news and writes: Sudan has lost a dear citizen, who has contributed tremendously to Sudanese and Arabic literature. His most acclaimed work is the 1966 novel “Season of Migration to the North.” The novel was, at one point, banned in Sudan for its inclusion of sexual imagery, yet it was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Syrian-based Arab Literary Academy in Damascus. [...]
February 24, 2009 at 9:35 pm
[...] a frustrated rant about Khartoum International Airport's unhygienic condition, Sudanese Optimist mourned the passing of the respected and well-known Sudanese novelist, Al-Tayeb Saleh. Sudan has lost a [...]
February 27, 2009 at 7:41 pm
[...] ya malalamiko kuhusu hali mbaya ya usalama wa afya kwenye Uwanja wa Ndege wa Khartoum, Msudani mwenye matumaini anaomboleza kifo cha mwandishi mashuhuri wa riwaya, Al- Tayeb Saleh. Sudani imempoteza raia mpendwa, ambaye [...]
March 3, 2009 at 4:47 pm
[...] luapan frustasi mengenai ketidakhigienisan Bandara Internasional Khartoum, Sudanese Optimist berduka atas meninggalnya novelis Sudan kenamaan dan terhormat, Al-Tayeb Saleh. Sudan kehilangan seorang [...]