Awaiting the Limestone to Flourish
By Gladys Matar  كلاديس مطر

Upon returning home, Ms Matar published her first book: “Awaiting the Limestone to Flourish,” with an introduction by renowned author Adel Abou-Shanab, which was republished in 1989 by “Naufal Publishing House” in Beirut.

(To Purchase Ms. Matar's Books Visit Our Links Section)

FORWARD TO THE BOOK:

I must admit that being a Short Story writer at the turn of the twentieth century is a bit adventurous, especially if the writer is a female.

It seems that the written word is no longer desirable by the masses due to the dominance of the audio-visual technology in the publishing world today. Add to that, the current slump in the Arabic literature in general and the loss of proper use of Arabic linguistic splendor and you will find that Short Story, as a genre, is becoming increasingly unstable, not that it was truly stable before.   

Therefore, it is intensely interesting to us all when a new star lightens up the skies of this literary genre. And, it is even more interesting when this star is a female for it is rare for a true female literary star to come by in our Arabic culture today. 

Ms. Matar is a young, well versed, impatient, adventurous Short Story writer.   

I must also confess that when I received the manuscript of her Awaiting The Limestone To Flourish I simply felt indifferent about it! I thought it would be hard for a young writer to truly add anything to the already existing inventory of Arabic Short Story genre.  

However, from the moment I read the first line, I was captivated by her words, phrases, paragraphs… and of course her stories. I found myself looking at a narrative manuscript that is anything but a rookie’s work. Gladys Matar narrated professionally as if this book was not her first experience. Her "phrase" had accurate linguistic composition and her phrasing showed a deep understanding of the meaning of each word. 

I announce that a new storyteller has born in Syria. She is entering the field as a experienced professional. I could even say that she is more talented and competent than some of the well-known names in the literature market today!" 

Mr. Adel Abou Chanab  

A quote From his forwarding to the first edition of this book in 1993