- Saʿūd al-Sanʿūsī (1981-, Kuwait) – Sāq al-Bāmbū (2012, English trans. The Bamboo Stalk, 2015). This novel, which won the International Prize for Arabic Literature in 2013, talks about the Philippian Jūzāfīn who moves to Kuwait to work as a maid, and who falls in love with the intellectual Rashīd. But their romantic relationship ends when Rashīd, in the context of increasing violence in Kuwait, sends the pregnant Jūzāfīn back to the Philippines where she gives birth to ʿĪsā (José). The son grows up in Manilla but once he reaches the age of 18, he embarks on a journey to his father’s home country. However, being ill-prepared for the very different political and social circumstances in Kuwait, he is confronted with an identity crisis (reference) (also in W: Outside the Arab world: Asia and M: Movement: (E) Migration, Refugees and Return: (E) Migration: Non-Arab Migrants in Arab Countries).
Refrences:
In order of appearance
- al-Kabīr al-Dādīsī. 2018. Masārāt al-riwāyah al-ʿarabiyyah al-muʿāṣirah, Muʾassah al-raḥāb al-ḥadīthah: Bayrūt, p. 156