Artistic evening honours memory of novelist Mu’nis Razzaz

AMMAN — An artistic evening commemorating the memory of noted Jordanian novelist Mu’nis Razzaz was held in the Ousama Mashini Theatre for visual arts on Tuesday evening on his 20th death anniversary.

The Ousama Mashini Theatre is among the first theatres in Amman founded in 1973 in Jabal Luweibdeh, under the Ministry of Culture.

Razzaz, 1951, was a prominent modernist novelist, credited with having transformed the Jordanian literature.

The evening featured a band of Jordanian musicians playing various instruments, while singers Yazan Sabbagh and Dania Awad performed classical Arab songs from the 1960s, taking the audience into an earlier time.

In between songs, audio recordings of a number of letters between Razzaz and his parents Munif Razzaz and Lamah Bseiso were played.

The said letters took place during Munif’s time in Al Jafr prison, which was closed in 2006 by a Royal decree.

Omar Razzaz, former prime minister and Mu’nis’ younger brother, said during the evening: “The outpour of love and hope that is apparent in the letters between Lamah and Munif is what allowed them to bear all hardships”.

Scene Theatre and Drama Club also performed a play made up of small sketches based on Mu’nis’ book Juma’a Al Qafari (Nakra’s Diary).

“Scene’s theatrical productions primarily focus on reviving heritage books, portraying the essence of the Jordanian identity,” founder of Scene club Enad Bin Tareef told the Jordan Times.

Juma’a Al Qafari (Nakra’s Diary) is a novel published in 1990 featuring various scenes from the life of a Jordanian citizen named Juma’a Al Qafari. 

Razzaz noted that “this evening does not only honour the 20th anniversary of Mu’nis’ passing but also celebrates people’s respect for art and literature, as sources of hope in dark times”.

He added that it is an indication that Jordanians value their cultural and literary heritage.

The evening was organised by Hikmat Culture, a cultural centre which “aims to enrich the cultural scene in Jabal Luweibdeh”, according to its website.

Project manager at Hikmat Culture Arafat Awad told The Jordan Times: “The centre is currently cooperating with Amman Municipality to paint a mural of Razzaz in Jabal Luweibdeh in honour of his memory”.