ALKHOBAR, 14 April 2006 — Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani called on women to actively participate in literary activities in the Kingdom.
“Women members should play an effective role in literary clubs and there should be women’s committees as an extension of the board of directors in all the clubs,” said Madani following a meeting with the chairman of the Eastern Province Literary Club, Jubair Al-Malihan, and its board members on Wednesday.
Literary clubs in Saudi Arabia, located in the Kingdom’s principal cities, play key roles in promoting literary events, public readings and lectures.
In a recent report in Arab News young writers expressed concern that the literary clubs were out of touch with current trends, and that the Internet has increasingly become the alternative for young authors and poets to form their own communities online. Women writers, too, have expressed disdain over their lack of representation.
“The clubs should be open to all positive trends and should follow the National Dialogue Center as an example,” said the minister, referring to the dialogues that take place twice a year and seek to address broad social issues with the participation of various groups, including women and youths.
The minister also disclosed that the ministry would inaugurate two new literary clubs at Al-Ahsa and Jizan.
He stressed the need for media establishments in the Kingdom to set aside a part of their profits for the training of graduates seeking career in the media.
