Sufism in Contemporary Fiction in English

From the Secular to the Sacred
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-20453-0
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 303 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 526 g

Reihe: Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World

This is the first full-length study to explore how contemporary, Western manifestations of Sufism are represented in fictional texts and examines how Sufi principles and ideas are deeply embedded in the literary production of selected writers. Offering an overview of the historical development of Western Sufism, this study outlines its distinctive approach to mystical experience in addition to engaging with important aspects of its general philosophical tenets. As well as presenting up-to-date information relating to the major figures of Western Sufism, such as G. I. Gurdjieff and Idris Shah, each of the main chapters deals with a specific contemporary literary figure – Doris Lessing, Elif Shafak, Leila Aboulela and Nigel Watts – in order to show the pervasive influence of Sufism on their work.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Gray, Billy

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Englische Literatur Postkoloniale Literaturen in Englisch, Englische Literatur außerhalb Europas
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literarische Stoffe, Motive und Themen
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft | Kulturwissenschaften Kulturwissenschaften
• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islamische Gruppen: Sufis

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Introduction: Traditional and Contemporary Sufism and Their Relation to Contemporary Fiction in English.- 2 ‘Rumi is cool and Rumi is everywhere’: Fictionalised Biographies of Rumi.- 3 An Insider Narrative?: The Influence of Sufism on the Work of Doris Lessing.- 4 ‘Learning How to Learn’: Elif Shafak, Sufism and the Teacher-Disciple Relationship.- 5 A Sufi School of One? Traditional Sufi Aesthetics in Leila Aboulela’s Fiction.- 6 Nigel Watts, Gurdjieff and the Human Potential Movement.- 7 Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Billy Gray is Associate Professor of English at Dalarna University, Sweden. He has published widely on writers such as Doris Lessing, Hubert Butler, Chris Arthur, Patrick McCabe, Eoin McNamee, Derek Lundy, J. M. Coetzee and Jenny Diski, Elif Shafak and Leila Aboulela, amongst others.