Literary Writing in the Emirate of Trans-Jordan During the Reign of Abdullah I (1921–1951)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article deals with the literature that flourished in Jordan during the reign of King Abdullah I. It shows that although Abdullah wanted his views and the values of his regime to prevail over literary writing, behind the scenes, an opposition literature grew that undermined these values. Oppositional messages were disguised using various artistic means and many works were published outside rather than inside Jordan. In the end, however, it seems that the regime still managed to impose its values, since up to the present, literary research has tended to ignore the works written during this early period, showing that writing in Trans-Jordan was not oppositional. This article fills this void by pointing to the buds of subversion as reflected in literature written at that time.