On the Margins of the Arab Writers' Conference

Mrs. Amina al-Said, of Egypt's delegation to the Arab Writers' Conference held in Damascus from September 20 to 27 last, spoke of some of the good signs at the conference, saying that for the first time in the history of Arab conferences woman was represented in every delegation — and this is a beautiful sign that caught my eye. The conferees reached important resolutions, but the test lies in the governments' carrying out of these resolutions in a way that raises the standing of literature and of writers in the Arab countries.

Mrs. al-Said added, qualifying: "It is true that the discussions at times took a violent turn, but the intense enthusiasm was for arriving at opinions and results of real value."

And Dr. Zahia Kaddoura, of Lebanon's delegation, added her praise of the pure Arab spirit that prevailed at the conference, and of the exceeding care the Syrians took for the conference's success.

It is worth mentioning that the Arab women representatives to the Arab Writers' Conference, which comprised seventy persons, were:

From Egypt — Amina al-Said

From Lebanon — Dr. Zahia Kaddoura and Afifa Saab
From Syria — Widad Sakakini and Inaya Ramzi
From Iraq — Nazik al-Malaika
From Morocco — Latifa bint Halloun.