The Wide Void
By: Abdel Qader Dagash
Some books elevate you to the heights of knowledge, and others drag you to the depths. Some books nourish you for a lifetime, while others drain you until nothing is left, especially if you are vulnerable. But how can we distinguish between harmful and beneficial books? Can we rely on readers or writers themselves to determine this?
We can discern this through certain readers and writers, but no reader or writer is completely neutral. Those who ban the reading of specific books or ideologies are inevitably opponents of the authors or philosophies in question. Interestingly, much of what has been instilled in our minds about certain ideas or schools of thought often originates from those who disagree with them.
So, how can we choose beneficial books over harmful ones? The only safeguard against poor choices is critical, analytical, and unbiased reading. Read a book without preconceived judgments. Those who read to confirm what they’ve heard or already know will fail in their reading. Similarly, anyone who judges a book favourably simply because they admire the author will lack sound judgment.
Muawiya Nur: A Brilliance in Sudanese Literature
Muawiya Nur, one of Sudan’s most prominent intellectuals, was a critical reader. Most of his articles were published in Al-Siyasa, an Egyptian newspaper where literary giants like Abbas Al-Aqqad, Ibrahim Al-Mazini, and Taha Hussein also contributed. Nur was an exceptional critic with a vast cultural background that enabled him to distinguish between derivative and original writers. In his critiques, he often exposed authors who plagiarized from English or French writings and claimed the works as their own.
Nur authored two exceptional books of his era: Stories and Reflections and Essays on Literature and Politics. Dar Al-Balad reprinted these under their original titles. One of these essays was featured in Doha Magazine as Between Two Cultures: Essays and Stories. The collection includes various articles and stories that reflect Nur’s literary mastery, such as:
- In Khartoum
- Reflections and Sorrowful Memories
- Omdurman: The City of Mirage and Nostalgia
- His Cousin
- Faith
- The Place
- Death and the Moon
Nur tackled life and its challenges in Sudan, delving into its complexities in a way that few Sudanese writers of his time did. This was before Tayeb Salih ascended as the king of Sudanese storytelling, setting a high bar for those who followed.
Malika Al-Dar: A Pioneer of Sudanese Literature
Malika Al-Dar Mohamed Abdullah remains a marvel of her time. She was the first Sudanese woman to write a complete novel, The Wide Void, and the first to contribute to journalism at a time when women were confined to societal restrictions.
She learned to read, write, and recite the Quran at the religious schools of Sheikh Ismail Al-Wali in Al-Obeid. Sheikh Al-Wali was a pioneer in lifting the veil of ignorance and illiteracy from girls long before the Mahdist era, influencing later figures like Sheikh Babiker Badri.
Malika Al-Dar’s education flourished under this foundation and later expanded in foreign schools, where her solid cultural grounding resisted outside influences. The Wide Void stands as a story, a novel, or perhaps social critique—it is whatever one chooses to call it—but it remains the first mature literary work by a Sudanese woman. Its elegant literary style secures its place as a groundbreaking contribution to Sudanese literature.