Anthologies of short stories in Saudi literature: Anthologies of government cultural institutions as a model

Abstract

This research study analyzes and compares the anthology of short stories issued by government cultural institutions. The research aims to understand the transformations of the short story, to note the phase changes to its reception in the local cultural scene, and the motives for issuing this type of collective literature. The goal of these anthologies was to document and consolidate the short story in the local scene, raise the taste of the recipient, encourage talent, and introduce its most prominent writers, and local community issues.

The research studies sixteen anthologies, divided into three types. The first type and an anthology of five periodical books began in the mid-seventies, coinciding with the maturity stage of the short story in Saudi literature. The second: Five literary anthologies that appeared at the beginning of the new millennium, the first two came within the context of introducing Saudi literature in general. The rest are related to the short story. The third: a regional anthology issued by literary clubs concerned with the short story in a specific region of the Kingdom. With the aim of introducing the authors and their distinguished stories; and encouraging talent, most of which were issued in conjunction with the flourishing stage of narrative during the first two decades of the twenty-first century.

The research notes that there is a direct correlation between the growth of the story and the issuance of anthologies, as the anthologies declined in the eighties and nineties of the twentieth century due to the weakness of the short story, and flourished in the second decade of the new millennium due to the growth of the Saudi short story. The research notes that some of the anthologies did not explain their approach and purpose, while others were accurate and comprehensive, and this is due to the editors of these anthologies.

The research notes that poetic anthologies appeared before narrative anthologies, especially regional anthologies, due to the dominance of traditional poetic culture. The research also notes that the percentage of women's stories reached a quarter due to the nature of collective cultural awareness. The anthologies were arranged, often, according to the alphabetical order of the authors' names.