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There has been a long debate about the origins of science fiction literature in Egypt. Scholars debate who was the first writer to include motifs of the genre, who made references to it and sought inspiration in it. It is commonly assumed that the beginnings of science fiction in Egypt date back to the late forties or early fifties of the last century, and Taufīq al-Ḥakīm and Yūsuf ‘Izz ad-Dīn ‘Īsàare mentioned as pioneers of the genre. But were they definitely the first writers who alluded to science fiction in their literary works? Did this literary genre in Egypt really appear in the 1940s or 1950s? Drawing on the latest studies, the authors of the article attempt to answer these questions and bring the beginnings of science fiction literature in Egypt closer to the fore. They also seek to highlight the importance of the first examples of SF literature in Egypt and their role in promoting the new literary genre in the country.

Bahrain was and is the homeland to many eminent poets including Tarafa Ibn al-Abd – the author of the longest pre-Islamic mu’allaqa. Free verse (shir hurr) is at present popular amongst poets from Bahrain as represented by the works of Ali Abd Allah Khalifa, Alawi al-Hashimi, Qasim al-Haddad as well as poetry in prose as written by Ali ash-Sharqawi, Abd al-Hamid al-Qa’id and Yaqub al-Muharraqi. Poets of all leanings make reference to history, in particular the period in which independence was gained (1971). Although the country, as a result of the embarking on a path of liberal economics in the 1970s heralding prosperity and economic growth, is presented within its literature in a pessimistic current directed against the negative face of capitalism in its Bahraini manifestation. Literature has been subject to censorship since the 1970s as a result of the presence of a single-party political system. The above mentioned poets draw the reader to concepts such as: freedom, truth, love and justice. There is no absence in their work of references to the fatherland and involvement in national issues. They attempt to analyse the place of man in the contemporary world, his relations with others and his relationship with himself, as well as references to the nation and one’s country of origin.