Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who has himself reportedly penned three novels, is seeking to further advance Iraqi literature throughout the West, official media reported Sunday.
During discussions with a group of Iraqi authors, Saddam discussed means of giving their works a wider impact in both the West and the Arab world.
"We want them to know how the (Iraqi) people, whom they have been fighting for some time, think," Saddam said in Saturday's meeting.
The novel "'Zabiba and the King' raised interest (in the West) in the first days" after its publication in November 2000, Saddam said of the first novel attributed to him.
However, this interest "quickly disappeared and the following novel was not well received, apparently on cautionary instructions," the Iraqi leader said of "The Impregnable Fortress", his second novel which went on sale in December 2001, AFP reported.
Bolstering the president's position as a prominent author, the official press announced last month that a third autobiographical work, "Men and a City", would shortly be on the bookshelves.
A fourth book attributed to Saddam is also expected out before the end of this year.
Many Iraqi intellectuals assume Saddam is the author of the novels even though they do not bear his name. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
