Tirana Times Staff
Albania, September 15, 2025, Tirana Times .With the opening of the Saudi Cultural Week in Tirana tomorrow, Tirana Times Publishing House is marking the occasion with the release of three new translations of contemporary Saudi novels into Albanian. The titles—Critical Condition of Patient “K” by Aziz Muhamed, The Sprouting Tree by Umaima Al-Khamis, and A Man Haunted by Crows by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed—represent some of the most acclaimed voices in Saudi literature today.
These releases build on the success of The Journey of Najdi Boy by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed, which Tirana Times published in December 2024 as the first-ever Saudi novel translated into Albanian. Together, the four titles reflect an ambitious and strategic cultural initiative, born of cooperation between Tirana Times and the Riyadh-based literary agency Kalemat.
A Strategic Cultural Bridge
The initiative goes beyond publishing: it is about creating a sustainable cultural bridge between Saudi Arabia and Albania. As literary critic Jerina Zaloshnja observed when reviewing The Journey of Najdi Boy, the arrival of Saudi fiction in Albanian “marks a significant milestone in the cultural history between the two countries.”
For Albanian readers, these novels open a rare and precious window onto Arab and Bedouin mythologies, Islamic spirituality, and Saudi social realities. In Zaloshnja’s words, The Journey of Najdi Boy was “a captivating tale for dreamers and seekers, universal in its existential questions of identity: Who am I?”
By expanding the series with three new titles, Tirana Times and Kalemat aim to deepen this dialogue, presenting Saudi voices that have already earned recognition in global literary circles.
Aziz Muhamed: Critical Condition of Patient “K”
Translated into Albanian by Elmaz Fida
Aziz Muhamed, born in Khobar in 1987, is one of the youngest and most original novelists to emerge from Saudi Arabia. His debut novel, Critical Condition of Patient “K”, follows a young man diagnosed with leukemia who confronts not only illness but also the crushing weight of family expectations and societal norms.
Written in diary form, the novel unfolds as an existential battlefield where “K” questions the meaning of life, identity, and the right not to conform. With biting sarcasm and moments of black humor, Muhamed channels the spirit of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, offering a piercing critique of suffocating social rituals.
The novel was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), making Muhamed the youngest author ever to reach that stage. It has since been translated into French—earning a spot on the final shortlist of the Institut du Monde Arabe Prize in Paris—and into English, where it was longlisted for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
Umaima Al-Khamis: The Sprouting Tree
Translated into Albanian by Alban Reli
Umaima Al-Khamis is a distinguished Saudi novelist, essayist, and educator, widely recognized for her imaginative storytelling and cultural depth. Her novel The Sprouting Tree is considered a gem of modern Arabic literature.
The story follows the heroine, Jauhara, from the heart of the Arabian Peninsula to Riyadh and eventually to Toronto, weaving a rich tapestry of human experience across geographies and cultures. Through her journey, the novel explores themes of growth, identity, faith, and resilience, framed by encounters with characters from both East and West.
Al-Khamis, who studied in Riyadh and at the University of Washington, has been honored with numerous literary prizes, including the Naguib Mahfouz Prize. Her works have been translated into several languages, and The Sprouting Tree was shortlisted for the Arabic Novel Prize. For Albanian readers, this novel offers not only a deeply emotional narrative but also an introduction to the intellectual breadth of one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women writers.
Yousef Al-Mohaimeed: A Man Haunted by Crows
Translated into Albanian by Elmaz Fida
The third new release, A Man Haunted by Crows, comes from Yousef Al-Mohaimeed, one of Saudi Arabia’s most internationally recognized novelists. Known for his lyrical style and fearless exploration of taboo subjects, Al-Mohaimeed has been translated into more than ten languages.
This latest novel, written during the Covid-19 pandemic, captures the vulnerability of human beings in times of crisis. Through existentialist tones and minimalist descriptions, the novel reflects on loss, fear, and survival in Riyadh under lockdown. Critics have praised it as “a reflective treatment of human fragility.”
The book was shortlisted for the Katara Prize in Qatar and longlisted for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the UAE. For Albanian readers, it follows directly on the heels of The Journey of Najdi Boy, which Tirana Times brought out last year and which marked the beginning of Saudi literature in Albanian translation.
The Translators: Voices Across Languages
A feature of this initiative is the attention to translation quality. Elmaz Fida and Alban Reli, two of Albania’s most experienced translators, have rendered these texts into Albanian with sensitivity to rhythm, imagery, and cultural nuance.
As Jerina Zaloshnja noted translation is not simply linguistic transfer but also a cultural act: it preserves the lyrical cadence of Arabic prose while adapting it to the Albanian ear. Through their work, Fida and Reli ensure that these Saudi voices reach Albanian readers in all their richness and originality.
Literature as Cultural Diplomacy
With four Saudi novels now available in Albanian, the Tirana–Riyadh literary partnership is becoming a genuine cultural exchange. It is no coincidence that these publications coincide with the Saudi Cultural Week in Tirana, which will showcase art, music, cuisine, and literature.
By bringing contemporary Saudi writers into the Albanian language, Tirana Times and Kalemat are not only publishing books—they are building a new cultural bridge between the Balkans and the Arab world, between Tirana and Riyadh.
For Albanian readers, the reward is the discovery of powerful new voices who, through stories of illness, journeys, resilience, and human fragility, pose universal questions about life, freedom, and identity.
The post Saudi Literature in Albanian: Tirana Times Publishes Three New Titles Ahead of Saudi Cultural Week in Tirana appeared first on Tirana Times.
