Al Harf Al Arabi Forum Discusses Khalid Al Yousef s Novel Seerat Huma

Yemenat
Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi

On Thursday evening, November 12, 2026, Al-Harf Al-Arabi Forum held a discussion of Seerat Huma, a novel by Saudi writer Khalid Ahmed Al-Yousef. The event was part of the forum’s second monthly meeting in its “When Thought Meets Literature” series, under the title “The Attraction of Nothingness and the Intersections of Identity and Time.”

The discussion featured Egyptian academic Dr. Gehan El-Demerdash, Bahraini literary critic Hassan Al-Jaafar, and Saudi novelist Khalid Al-Yousef. Dr. Doria Farhat moderated the event, with Dr. Amal Bouharb also taking part.

The participants discussed the character of Dr. Khuzaima and his relationship with the setting and events, as well as the questions the novel raises about nothingness and existence. They also explored the role of fever in the novel, its effect on the narrative and the characters’ language, and its connection to time and place.

The discussion also touched on the use of poetry, diaries, historical accounts, and descriptions of places in the novel, along with its psychological and documentary aspects related to the pandemic.

Al-Yousef spoke about how he began writing the novel. He explained that he started by keeping a series of diary entries during his illness and isolation, and that these entries later developed into a novel. He added: “When thought meets literature, after turning to God, you turn to writing. Writing is always a refuge for the writer. It heals wounds and helps ease pain, hardship, and sadness.”

Dr. Gehan El-Demerdash said: “Seerat Huma is one of those novels that open up questions about human destiny. It also makes very different use of place. As we read the novel, we find ourselves asking: What does it say about human existence, and what artistic techniques has the writer used to express it?”

Bahraini critic Hassan Al-Jaafar spoke about the meaning