Hopefully this is an indication Kuwait has left behind its dark days of censorship. This TNPS headline from 2018: “A mermaid wearing a bra among books banned in Kuwait.”
At the just concluded 56th Cairo International Book Fair, Kuwaiti publishing house Takween was awarded Best Arab Publisher, a distinction shared with Egypt’s Namaa Publishing and Research Center.
Takween’s Multidisciplinary Approach
Founded in March 2016, Takween is, per the press release, a multidisciplinary cultural centre based in Kuwait, encompassing a library, publishing house, creative writing workshop, and cultural platform. The organisation aims to be a driving force of soft power in the Arab world, promoting values of freedom, pluralism, acceptance of others, and human rights. Its published works have received critical acclaim and numerous prestigious literary awards.
Yes, we are, apparently, talking about Kuwait.
Kuwait supposedly amended its censorship law in 2020, as reported by TNPS at the time.
– and perhaps this 2024 report reflects improvements since then. If anyone is familiar enough with the 2024 Kuwait book market to comment, do get in touch.
Notable Achievements Elswhere.
In 2024, Kuwaiti novelist Abdullah Al-Husseini’s Baqi Al-Washm (The Remaining Tattoo), published by Takween, won the Palestinian Ministry of Culture’s Ghassan Kanafani Award for Arabic Fiction. This award recognises writers who promote truth, freedom, and resistance.
Additionally, Takween owner and Kuwaiti novelist Buthayna Al-Essa’s novel The Book Censor’s Library was longlisted for the 2024 US National Book Foundation Award in the translated literature category.
What Does It Mean?
With that in mind, again consider that Takween was awarded Best Arab Publisher at Cairo this month.
Hopefully this is an indication Kuwait has left behind its dark days of censorship.
This TNPS headline from 2018: “A mermaid wearing a bra among books banned in Kuwait.”
