JEDDAH, 6 January 2007 — With two million Keralites living and working in Gulf countries, it should be no surprise that some of them have fostered a literary movement. They aren’t writing in exile, but rather in expatriation — and in their native language, Malayalam.

Their life is hectic, because they work tirelessly for their employers as their first priority and utilize their sparse amount of free time in creative work: Writing a novel or publishing short stories, poems and essays in literary magazines back home or in the pages of regional Malayalam publications. These writers face immense pressure in maintaining a balance between the two demands.

Jeddah is home to a host of writers who have penned about 50 Malayalam-language books, from short-story collections to books of poetry and from essay compilations to novels.

Most of these works focus on social norms and attitudes in the southern Indian state of Kerala, home to 31.8 million people. There are about two million Keralites living and working in the Gulf region, comprising about half of the Indian guest-worker population.

The Jeddah-based Malayalee writers tend to focus on describing life back home, undoubtedly something they miss. But their work don’t romanticize life back home: They are interpretations or criticisms of what they perceive to be an erosion of a social fabric that has affected the lives of Keralites as they confront the forces of a new global order. Just as they have left their homes for greener pastures in the sands of Arabia, they must come to terms with the incursions of more negative aspects of globalization into their predominantly agrarian, literate and densely populated state.

These works are not just blatant lamentations of modernity and a desire to go back to the old ways, either. Tradition is neither romanticized nor given a free ride. These writers confront customs, social norms and attitudes that they view as unjustifiably fabricated by man and then blindly embraced by society.

The paths of most of these writings end in Kerala. The writers almost seem averse to describing life in the Gulf. To them, living in the Gulf means living as an expatriate, not living in Kerala - the works of these writers are typically focused on home.

“I write about the inhabitants from my village, and about the relationships between the ordinary people,” says Abu Irignattiri, a Jeddah-based Keralite writer who recently released his book “Thampran Khaleefa” (Lord Khaleefa).

Sitara, another Jeddah-based Keralite writer, has gained considerable repute in contemporary Malayalam literature for her stunning, vividly described and heart-felt short stories. Her books “Veshappakarcha” (Disguise) and Agniyum Kathakalum (Fire and Stories) have been critically acclaimed back in her native state.

Abu Iringattiry from Malappuram depicts through his fiction writing personal experiences against a richly-detailed backdrop of events. He has published five books, including his latest, Drishtantam (Evidence), a memoir about the life of a village and its community.

“In the 1980s, my work was attacked by the feudal landlords,” said Iringattiri. “I fled the village and exiled myself for about a month. Now my village has changed and they embrace my work.”

Predictably, these writers often address expatriate life in general - and not just in the Gulf. V.V. Basheer, another Jeddah-based Keralite author, has written a short-story collection titled “Las Vegas” based on his experiences with a Keralite family living in the United States.

Regrettably, the works of these Jeddah writers aren’t available in bookstores in the Kingdom. “There are a lot of hurdles in bringing books,” says Keralite author George Lazer, whose novel “God’s Own” was released recently. He is also the author of “Ottaka Marathanalil” (In the Shadow of the Camel-Shaped Tree), which describes the life of ordinary Gulf expatriates.

This local literary deficiency has created a problem with forming a community of writers. Expatriate writers here are not familiar with the books their fellow expatriates are writing.

Surprisingly, the Jeddah-based writers from Kerala rarely touch on the subject of Arabian life itself. Haneefa Kochanoor’s collection of essays “Chithariya Chila Anubhavangal” (Some Broken Experiences) is one exception, which paints a picture of life in the Gulf, as usual, through the eyes of expatriates.

Most of the Jeddah-based writers lament the fact that literary critics in India don’t give them enough attention. “There’s a lot of ignorance about the Malayalam writers based in the Arab world,” says Salam Karattil. “They lack attention from the mainstream back home. The readership is limited to Gulf expatriates.”

P.T. Mohammed, an ardent reader, regretted the absence of inter-literary exchanges between the people of Gulf and the people of Kerala, who have had a long-standing affectionate view of Arabs and a genuine curiosity about life in the Gulf. Mohammed says that there are no Malayali translations of contemporary Arab works.

“I believe it is important that people in Kerala should have the opportunity to read what Arab writers have to say about their own countries,” said Mohammed.

With so many Keralites focusing on life back home, rather than life in their new homes, Mohammed wonders if they should rise to the challenge and infuse new literary ideas in their work.

Fortunately, there is a growing interest among Kerliate Gulf expatriates to get together to discuss these issues and their works. Jeddah has at least three such groups, including Arangu, Aswadaka Sangham and Vaayanakkoottam. These groups meet regularly to discuss contemporary Malayalam literature and trends. They also present their own works to the audiences.

Following are some of the prominent Malayali writers in Jeddah:

Haneefa Kochanoor: The works of this Asianet Award winner contains romance and humor that provides light reading and a window on Malyali culture. His novel “Asar Mulla Chuvannappol” (When Jasmine reddened) takes place in a remote Keralite village animated through many colorful characters. Kochanoor’s other works include “Akkare” (The Other Side of the Ocean”, a collection of short stories), “Ormappandangal” (Ornaments for Remembrance, a novelette), “Hridaya Puranam” (Epic of Heart, short stories), and “Marubhumi” (Desert). The author has also written about the life and times of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

A.P. Ahamed, who recently relocated to Jeddah, writes as an advocate of communal harmony, most notably expressed in his collections of essays “Nilaavinte Nilavili” (Cry of the Moonlit Night), “Muslim Navothanam” (Muslim Renaissance”) and “Muslim Rashtriyam” (Muslim Politics). Ahamed captures the conflicts of different cultures and creeds (Kerala has three large Hindu, Muslim and Christian populations) with a special emphasis on society’s downtrodden and the richness of Mappila culture.

Musafir of Malayalam News: This writer with an unusual penname narrates about various subjects, including the culture, the arts and prominent personalities in his work “Olivilakalil Chora Peyyunnu” (Blood Rains on Olive Leaves). Musafir has a poetic language that complements the readability of his feature writing.

Muzaffar Ahmed, also works for Malayalam News, is a prolific poet whose works have appeared in leading Keralite magazines. Ahmed recently released a collection of poems “Veliyum Vilayum (The Fence and the Harvest).

George Lazer writes about the complexities of life and human conventions that complicate existence. His latest novel is titled “God’s Own”. He is also author of “Ottakamarathanalil”, “Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil” (At the Temple of Guruvayur, a screenplay) and “Pravasi Swapnangal” (Dreams of Expatriates, a collection of short stories).

Salam Karrattil has lived in Jeddah for over 20 years. He considers himself a poet, first, but has also published two collections: “Bhoomiyile Kathakal” (Stories of Earth) and “Chitrashalabha Kathakal” (Butterfly Stories). His pieces are shorter than the conventional short stories, often referred to as “mini-stories” or what is referred in the American literary scene as flash fiction.

Musthafa Keethadath’s flair and ingenuity delivers a delightful reading experience, especially “Ororutharum Aayitheerunnath” (The Fate of Each and Everyone), a collection of short stories. Hakeem Cholayil is another famous writer. Noted Malayalam writer Perumpadavam Sreedharan recently launched Cholayil’s latest collection of short stories titled “Falluja” in Jeddah recently. Two of the stories in the book depict life in Iraq through the eyes of a Keralite expatriate worker.

(Usman Irumpuzhi has published six titles in Malayalam ranging from short stories to essay collections)