As in the US, young adult literature has been dominating the Arabic book market lately. However, cultural taboos make it difficult for writers in Arabic-speaking countries to publish books that fully satisfy YA readers in the Arab world.

“There are too many taboos on what to write and how to write it,” said YA author Taghreed Najjar, who was recently shortlisted for the YA category of the Etisalat prize for Arabic children’s literature. “It’s easier to sell books for younger children under the guise of educating them or strengthening their moral fibre. People who bought these kinds of books were parents and teachers. But YA has to appeal to young adults to sell well, hence the dilemma.”

Najjar explained to The Guardian that her first young adult novel, Sitt al-Kol, came under fire by library and school buyers for its inclusion of “mild romance” and characters whose behaviors they disapproved. However, Najjar said that teen readers, in contrast, wanted more details about the romance. “They were hoping I would marry [the characters] off at the end of the story,” she said.

Another author, Hadil Ghoneim, whose YA novel, A Year in Qenwas, was also shortlisted for the Etisalat prize, said that YA books might be improved by less deference to taboos. “Maybe we tend to be on our best behavior when we write for kids. And maybe [kids] don’t appreciate that and don’t read much because of that.”