Issue No. 600
Opinion
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22 - 28 August 2002 Issue No. 600 Opinion |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
The philosophical gaze
Philosophical echoes in my work? Well, yes, it has often been pointed, quite rightly, that I studied philosophy at university, and certainly it has influenced my writing though not as directly as is sometimes suggested. Literature invariably rests on an authorial world-view, and philosophy enriches that vision, lending precision and depth, but only if the author manages to utilise it correctly. Philosophy invests literary endeavour with meaning and brushes up the writer's conceptual vocabulary.
Some suggest, as a consequence, that the author must possess his own, comprehensive philosophy. But in literature there is no such thing as "should". The constitution of a literary work depends on its subject and the style to which its creator inclines; a beautifully constructed, potent work of literature cannot sensibly be criticised for lacking a philosophical dimension. For my part I loved philosophy and it would be short-sighted not to see its influence on my work. For many years I was undecided as to what to do with my life: should I continue the study of philosophy or write novels? And my interest in philosophy persisted after I opted for the latter course.
Al-Tariq (The Road), Tharthara Fawq Al-Nil (A drift on the Nile), Al-Harafish and Layali Alf-Leila wa Leila all have a pronounced philosophical accent. But philosophy, I suspect, runs through everything I've written, in small and hidden rivulets if not in the principal waterways. It is a passion, but an idiosyncratic one. Other writers have other passions..
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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