By Mohammad Tarique Saleem
The quiet power of Omani storytelling has found a new and wider audience as the English translation of Jou’ Al-Asal (Honey Hunger) by acclaimed poet and novelist Zahran Alqasmi won the 2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Rendered into English by renowned British scholar Marilyn Booth, the novel was praised for its exquisite language and style, and for its ability to carry readers deep into the rugged, lyrical landscapes of Oman’s highlands.
At its heart, Honey Hunger is a deeply human story. Though set amid mountains, valleys, and desert plains, its emotional terrain feels universal. Alqasmi explores the idea of deprivation hidden beneath abundance, using honey as a powerful symbol of longing, desire, and the things people chase without ever feeling fully satisfied. Booth’s translation preserves this delicate balance, allowing English-language readers to experience the novel’s poetic restraint and quiet intensity.
The book unfolds across 13 chapters, each opening with a Ta’weeba,a traditional form of Omani folk poetry sung by women during daily labor such as wood gathering or herding. These lyrical openings root the novel firmly in place and tradition, echoing the rhythms of life in rural Oman while setting a contemplative tone for the story that follows. Alqasmi centers the narrative on three friends who, despite appearing content on the surface, share an unspoken inner emptiness.
Their repeated journeys into the mountains in search of wild honey become more than physical expeditions; they evolve into journeys of self-discovery and connection with nature. Along the way, readers are gently introduced to the world of bees and beekeeping, learning about survival conditions, diseases, harvesting methods, and the fragile balance between humans and the natural world. Beyond its ecological and cultural detail, Honey Hunger offers a tender portrait of Bedouin life, marked by generosity, resilience, and a profound relationship with place.
Alqasmi’s narrative style favors suggestion over explanation, using concise sentences and small, vivid details that invite readers to participate actively in shaping meaning. The award-winning translation is also a significant success for Oman’s Cultural Club and its Omani Text Translation Program, launched in 2019 to bring Omani literature to international readers. With Honey Hunger, that vision has been beautifully realized, affirming Omani literature’s place on the global cultural stage and reminding readers everywhere that the most powerful stories often speak in quiet, poetic voices.
