Between ’Adab al-Ri lāt and ‘Geo-literature’: The Constructive Narrative Fiction of Salīm al-Bustānī

Abstract

This paper delineates the literary geographical writing of Salīm al-Bustānī, one of the leading intellectuals of the nah a period. It will demonstrate that Bustānī's writing can be considered a continuation of the genre of ’Adab al-rilāt (travel account), but at the same time it was an innovation and al-Bustānī was among the first to transform this classical genre into a clearly defined narrative fiction, which we term ‘geo-literature’. This term refers to literary and patriotic writing that included a list of geographic locations designed to make readers aware of them and to encourage the readers to visit these sites. The article shows that this writing combined influences from local and western models. Finally, it elaborates on some of the influences of this ‘geo-literature’ on 20th-century writing styles in modern Lebanon.