Jokha Alharthi

Oman

About

Jokha Alharthi is an Omani novelist and academic whose work explores family, memory, gender, and the transformation of Omani society. Born in Oman in 1978, she earned a PhD in classical Arabic literature from the University of Edinburgh in 2011 and teaches at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat. Writing in Arabic, Alharthi has published novels, short-story collections, children’s books, and scholarly works. She gained international recognition in 2019 when her novel Celestial Bodies, translated into English by Marilyn Booth, won the Man Booker International Prize. Alharthi became the first Arabic-language author to receive the award, bringing greater international attention to Omani literature. Her novel Bitter Orange Tree, originally published in Arabic as Narinjah in 2016, further demonstrates her interest in the complexities of women’s lives, social expectations, and the emotional connections between generations. Her writing offers readers an intimate perspective on Omani culture while exploring experiences that resonate across borders.

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Celestial Bodies

Celestial Bodies

In the Omani village of al-Awafi, three sisters navigate love, marriage, family expectations, and the changing world around them. Mayya marries Abdallah, the son of a wealthy merchant, after experiencing heartbreak. Asma enters marriage out of a sense of duty, while Khawla refuses every suitor, remaining devoted to the man she loves, who has emigrated to Canada. Through the intertwined lives of these women and their extended family, Jokha Alharthi paints a richly layered portrait of Oman across generations. The novel moves between memories, personal histories, and shifting perspectives, gradually revealing how individual lives are shaped by social class, gender roles, and the legacy of slavery. As Oman transitions from a traditional society to a modern nation, its people struggle to reconcile inherited customs with new possibilities. Poetic and intricately structured, Celestial Bodies explores the tension between personal desire and social obligation, showing how love, loss, and family secrets echo across generations. The novel won the 2019 Man Booker International Prize, shared by Alharthi and her translator, Marilyn Booth.

Bitter Orange Tree

Bitter Orange Tree

When Omani student Zuhour leaves her home to study at a university in Britain, she finds herself caught between the promise of a new life and the memories of the people she has left behind. Among them is Bint Aamir, the woman she regarded as her grandmother, whose love and sacrifices shaped Zuhour’s childhood. Bint Aamir’s own life was marked by constrained choices and dreams she was never able to fulfil, finding solace beneath a beloved bitter orange tree. As Zuhour struggles with loneliness, complicated friendships, and the challenge of finding her place in an unfamiliar country, memories and dreams draw her back to Oman. Through a lyrical, nonlinear narrative, Jokha Alharthi weaves together the lives of two women separated by generations but connected by longing, affection, and the desire for independence. Bitter Orange Tree explores how family histories, social class, and gender expectations shape women’s lives—and how understanding the past can help us imagine a different future.

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