Amman, April 28 — The Abdul Hameed Shoman Cultural Foundation Forum on Monday evening hosted a panel discussion examining the life and literary legacy of the late Jordanian émigré writer Aqeel Abu Al Sha’ar. The event brought together a group of writers, scholars, and interested guests.
Titled “The Absent Novelist: Aqeel Abu Al Sha’ar” the seminar featured translator and researcher Dr. Adnan Kazem; Vice Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Al al Bayt University Dr. Muntaha Al Harahsheh; and Professor of Narrative and Cultural Studies Dr. Zuhair Obaidat and was moderated by Critic Dr. Ziyad Abu Laban.
Speakers portrayed Abu Al Sha’ar’s life as a rich and complex intellectual and human journey, beginning in the town of Al Husn in northern Jordan in the late nineteenth century. They traced his early education in missionary schools, followed by his move to Italy to study theology and philosophy, a period during which his cultural and intellectual awareness took shape.
The seminar explored his early experiences with novel writing, focusing on The Armenian Girl in Yıldız Palace. Some critics see this work as one of the first Arab novels in the modern Western sense, noting its developed storytelling and forward‑looking ideas.
Participants also discussed the dramatic turns of Abu Al Sha’ar’s life — from persecution and exile to journeys across Europe, and eventually his settlement in the Dominican Republic. There, he became involved in political and diplomatic work, an exceptional path for an Arab writer of his time. The discussion addressed the long period of obscurity that surrounded him, to the extent that some researchers doubted his very existence, until the efforts of Dr. Hind Abu Al Sha’ar succeeded in reconstructing his biography and recovering parts of his legacy by tracing his documents and published works, some of which appeared under the name “Achille Nimr.”
Dr. Al Harahsheh presented a critical paper examining the implicit presence of the author in Abu Al Sha’ar’s novel “Jerusalem Is Free – Nahla, the Olive Branch.” She argued that the author’s presence does not appear directly in the text but rather emerges as an underlying intellectual and aesthetic framework that shapes meaning, exemplifying the concept of the “implied author,” whose presence is realized through absence.
Dr. Kazem described Abu Al Sha’ar as a highly skilled writer with a refined command of language and narrative, capable of vividly portraying diverse aspects of life. He noted that Abu Al Sha’ar’s writing reflects deep cultural knowledge, sharp insight, and an elegant yet unpretentious style. Dr. Kazem outlined the writer’s wide-ranging life between Jordan, Palestine, France, Italy, and the Dominican Republic, as well as his mastery of several languages and his work in education, journalism, music, and diplomacy. He also pointed out that “Jerusalem Is Free,” written around 1920, bears a strong journalistic tone and even incorporates elements of reportage.
Dr. Zuhair Obaidat emphasized Abu Al Sha’ar’s vast cultural background and intellectual accomplishments, noting that he held doctorates in philosophy and music and studied theology, politics, literature, and the arts. He mastered seven languages and authored nine novels, a poetry collection, and a book on Arabs under Ottoman rule. Obaidat stressed that Abu Al Sha’ar’s works carry significant literary, historical, and documentary value, representing a pioneering humanistic voice that engaged in dialogue with world literature and Western critical thought.