The belief in djinns is deep-rooted in Arab culture. No folklore in the Middle East is complete without the mention of supernatural spirits.
Their deeds, malevolent and benevolent, have captivated young and old alike.
Aladdin’s story is the apogee of such tales and is etched in the minds of every child; not to forget the 1001 Arabian Nights.
The Hakima’s Tale: The Revenge of the Blue Jinni is one such story. The writer, Dedra L. Stevenson, has in her first book brought to the fore mysteries of the netherworld.
An American married to an Emirati, Stevenson calls herself an “Arab”. She has reasons to do so. She has been living in Sharjah for 18 years and has absorbed the nuances of Arab culture and religion.
Hakima’s Tale was born as part of her learning process of the folklore of the land she now calls home.
Stevenson is already working on a sequel and plans to finish the trilogy by 2009.
She also has plans to export the traditions of Arab culture to the West, especially to the United States, where the belief in ghosts and spirits is strong among Native Americans.
“I wanted to do something more Arabic which people in the West would want to love,” says the mother of four, adding that it was her husband, a psychologist, who helped her make the idea a reality.
Break from tradition
There is a purpose, Stevenson says, behind choosing a woman as the main character.
“It is a little bit tradition-breaking in the sense that the hero is a boy in most Arabic folklore. And also, they say girls are more in touch with the spiritual world.”
Hakima — which means doctor in Arabic, also denotes a wise woman.
“Maybe I selected hakima because of my Native American connection. I am a Native American and we have something similar, like a wise woman who advises the tribe and is considered a healer.”
That does not mean the book is all about women and witches. There are strong male characters that play prominent roles in the action-filled mystery.
Stevenson is already working on the sequel, which focuses on how Hakima forms her army. The trilogy will end with Hakima fighting the final war.
“It is going to be more adventurous and better. It will be more global as the blue Jinni will be travelling around the world to gather support for her army,” Stevenson says.
Written in simple English and with a pleasing and large font, Hakima’s tale has already captivated the interest of young readers.
Many have written to Stevenson, who is marketing the book herself in schools and UAE bookshops.
She published the first book on her own but is now looking for sponsors so Hakima’s tale is read in almost all parts of the Arab world and in the West.
“People are calling it the Harry Potter of the Middle East, although it is completely different,” she states to dispel any comparison with J.K. Rowling’s famous character.
Stevenson feels the book has the potential to be a hit with children and adults. “The responses of my fans have been tremendous. Not only kids, adults too have written to say how much they liked the book.”
Offers trickle in
As the book celebrates the Arab culture, some media companies have also approached Stevenson to discuss the prospects of either making a feature or an animation film.
However, she is more interested in first translating her work into Arabic so it can reach a wider audience, especially in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.
It will soon be available on eBay and Amazon.com. “American children will love it — I mean really love, because most of the Western kids don’t know anything about the Middle East.
"These books will also try to bridge the divide between the East and the West. The book will change a lot of misconceptions about women in the Middle East,” Stevenson says.
The “Arab” writer who came from the US armed with two masters degrees, was also ignorant and frightened when she arrived at her husband’s house for the first time.
“I remember the first day at my husband’s house. As soon as we entered, the gate closed behind us and I said to myself: ‘Oh my God, what have I done. This is the end of my life.’ It was like a prison door shutting behind me.”
Over a period of time, Stevenson realised she was not in a prison. She took up various jobs but had to give them up to raise her growing family.
Moreover, she found that what Westerners thought about Arabs was not true. Just as in her book, where the djinns are shackled during Ramadan, she wants to shackle Western prejudices against the Arab world.
And what better way than by unleashing the mystical and friendly genies to keep the evil ones away!
