Raja Alem: her prize-winning novel about the dark side of Mecca today
In her early texts, Raja Alem used classic Arabic to delve into the rich folklore and mythology of Hijaz, in Northwestern Saudi Arabia – the birthplace of Islam. Her novel »The Doves' Necklace«, which won the »International Prize for Arabic Fiction« in 2011, investigates the »secret life« of the holy city, Mecca, and reveals a reality which is marked by crime, corruption and prostitution, as well as by the creeping erosion of the historic sections of the city.
