Born 1958
Ahmed Qasim Ali Al-Areqi (born 1958) is a prominent Yemeni writer, pharmacist, and novelist, born in the Al-A'rooq region of Haifan District in Taiz Governorate. He is known for his distinguished career that combined work in the health sector with literary activity in the fields of the novel and the short story, which he began later in life.
Al-Areqi received his primary education in Taiz, while he completed his secondary education at Gamal Abdel Nasser School in Sana'a. He later received a scholarship to Pakistan and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Bahauddin Zakariya University in 1987. He subsequently held several healthcare positions, including Director of Medical Supply at the Republican Hospital, Director of Al-Qaa Maternal and Child Health Center, and Quality Control Officer at the National Oncology Center in Sana'a.
Al-Areqi began writing literature late in life, drawing upon his solitude, life experiences, and extensive reading, which earned his works critical acclaim both locally and regionally. His novel Wedding on Hot Tin (عُرس على صفيح ساخن) won second place in the first edition of the Yemeni Narrative Award (Hazawi) in 2022. Additionally, some of his works were nominated, and his biography was included among Arab novelists on the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel platform.
Key Works:
- A Slip of the Pen (غلطة قلم): A short story collection with which the author enriched the Yemeni and Arab library.
- Bahout Yafrus: The Days and Nights of Ahmed Ibn Alwan (باهوت يفرس: أيام أحمد بن علوان ولياليه) (2024): A novel addressing the life and persona of Ahmed Ibn Alwan within a narrative framework.
- The Republic of Dogs (جمهورية الكلاب): A satirical socio-political novel that addresses societal issues in a literary style.
- Wedding on Hot Tin (عُرس على صفيح ساخن) (2022): A novel that won second place in the first edition of the Yemeni Narrative Award (Hazawi).
- The Flower of Love (زهر الغرام): A novel that falls within his diverse literary and fictional output.
- Exposure (تَعْرية): A novel reflecting the author's narrative experience.
- Snowballs (كُرَات الثَّلْج): A literary work added to his collection of novels.
- Call of the Fields (دَعْوة الحُقول): A novel highlighting the diversity of his literary themes.
- Green Ashes (الرَّماد الأَخْضر): A novel with which he enriched the literary scene.
