Kuwaiti novelist met with open arms in Ramallah

"I came here with a sad heart for this land's plight but found the people were resisting with all their might and daring adversity with their smiles," said Kuwaiti writer and novelist Saud Al-Sanousi who was welcomed here with open arms, visiting as part of the "In the Grand Presence of Darwish" project.Al-Sanousi told KUNA he was exceedingly warmed by the hospitality, and particularly felt the warmth of those who were born in Kuwait who sometimes recited the Kuwaiti national anthem and knew Kuwaiti patriotic songs by heart, "and when someone took me in the arms, I sensed it was Kuwait, my homeland, they were taking close to their hearts." The author meanwhile lamented what he termed as "a cultural rift" between the two people. "Our role as young writers is to carry the voice of youth between our two nations, and I am pleased to do so as I visit." Al-Sanousi had met his fans on Monday in a seminar organized part of the Darwish program. "The Darwish name filled me with awe", and "being close to the resting place of famous late Mahmoud Darwish is a joy and something I wish I would experience again in the future." The novelist, winner of the 2013 Arab Booker Prize for his novel "Bamboo Stalk", revealed that he was hesitant and felt some trepidation at accepting the invitation of Darwish Museum for many reasons, including issues of normalization and some political concerns. "I consulted many, and particularly those who had visited Palestine recently." Having clearly overcome his doubts, Al-Sanousi said "I am here now, visiting as brother visits kinsmen, and it is a golden opportunity for me to be here after many years of estrangement." Echoing the sentiment of a unique and special relationship between the Kuwaitis and the Palestinians, poet Ehab Bsiso who managed the seminar on Monday noted that Al-Sanousi's visit has great and many implications, on humanitarian as well as cultural level, and bolsters the presence of Kuwait in Palestine as well as that of Palestine in Kuwait. "This visit comes to help bridge the cultural gap between Palestine on the one hand and the Arab World on the other. It also stresses the depth and unique nature of the relationship of the Kuwaiti and Palestinian people." "Al-Sanousi's courage to go ahead and come here would open the way for more cooperation in the cultural and creative fields." Mahmoud Darwish (March 13, 1941 - August 9, 2008) was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards and was regarded by many as the Palestinian national poet. In his writings, Palestine became a metaphor for the loss of Eden, birth and resurrection, and the anguish of dispossession and exile.Mahmoud Darwish Museum started the "In the Grand Presence of Darwish" project in 2013 with the aim of bringing the masses together with elite Arab writers.Museum Rector Sameh Khudur told KUNA, "a survey was conducted on the museum's facebook page to choose the personality to be hosted in 2014, and the majority picked Saud Al-Sanousi and fellow Kuwaiti writer Layla Al-Othman, who also accepted the invitation and would be here in the near future." "The warmth and love the public showed Al-Sanousi send a clear heart-felt message; that we, as we strive for our independence and freedom, cannot live without Kuwait," the official stressed.