The Tears of Sheba hailed in French [Archives:2006/944/Culture]

A celebration was held on May 3, at Luxembourg Palace, the French Senate Palace, in Paris to honor the Yemeni directress and writer Khadija Al-Salami on the publication of the French version of her “The Tears of Sheba,” published by Actes Sud.

Al-Salami was also praised on her outstanding achievement in deepening the Yemen-France relationships.

At the celebration, the Chairman of the Yemen-French Friendship Society, delivered a speech underscoring the role played by Al-Salami in introducing her country and her efforts in strengthening the bonds between both countries.

Ameer Al-Aidarous, Yemeni ambassador to France, referred to Al-Salami who is a also a diplomat, as a “model for the contemporary Yemeni woman.”

“Tears of Sheba” has proved to be a success story. It has been already published in English, and Irish and the Japanese rendition is expected soon.

The book relates the life of the authoress which was devastated by the impact of civil war. That mentally destroyed her father and made him unable to care for his family. Determined to escape destruction around her, Khadija, at the age of 12, asked the local TV station to let her host a program for children. She later used the money that she received for these broadcasts to travel to the United States to study. She graduated from Mount Vernon College in Washington DC and, after undertaking postgraduate study in Film production, returned to Yemen to continue working at the Yemeni TV station.

Al-Salami directed appreciable films like “A Stranger in her own City”.

Khadija is serving now as a Press and Cultural Attache and Director of the Yemeni Information Centre in Paris. She lives in Paris with her husband, Charles Hoots.
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