Omani writer Najma Al Balushi prepares memoir on resilience, education and women’s rights

Omani writer Najma Al Balushi is set to publish a memoir that draws on her own life to confront childhood violence, child marriage, guardianship restrictions and the power of education. The book is expected this year on Amazon and other global publishing platforms.

Why it matters: - The book aims at readers concerned with girls’ and women’s rights, and at anyone trying to understand the quiet trauma many girls have faced. - It links personal survival to broader debates about dignity, education and legal freedom for women. - The memoir frames education as a route to freedom, dignity and a better future.

What happened: - Omani writer Najma Al Balushi is preparing to publish a book titled “Mudhakkirat Najma Al Balushi: Hifdat Malik” (“Memoirs of Najma Al Balushi: King’s Granddaughter”). - The book traces Al Balushi’s life from a difficult childhood to adulthood. - The memoir is expected to be released this year on Amazon and other global publishing platforms. - No launch event has been announced yet.

The details: - The book recounts experiences that many girls of her generation faced in silence, including physical violence, child sexual abuse and child marriage. - The memoir also describes an abduction and a fall into a deep, dark well in an attempt to kill her. - The adult life sections focus on women’s guardianship systems and the limits they place on women’s legal rights and personal choices. - The book uses Omani, Arab and Balochi cultural and linguistic heritage. - The text includes many local words and terms to help preserve and document the region’s language. - The memoir also serves as a historical record of her early childhood memory and visits to the United Arab Emirates in the early 1970s. - The book includes details about a historic meeting with Sultan Qaboos. - The author says the book was written because the written word is the last refuge of truth. - Al Balushi says documenting suffering is the first step toward changing reality and protecting other children from the same injustice. - She says every person is born free and was not created to be controlled by another person. - She says dawn always comes, no matter how long the night lasts. - She says standing neutral in the face of moral injustice is itself a form of betrayal. - The book closes with her message: “You are not alone. Thousands of girls’ souls are destroyed every day in the name of a distorted understanding of religion, a false concept of honor, and outdated traditions that have nothing to do with humanity.” - Omani writer and journalist Zahir bin Harith Al-Mahrouqi praised the work, saying: “The voice of a woman writing her life story while carrying in her heart the sorrow of a people who cannot sleep because of killing, starvation and displacement (Gaza).” - The book has also drawn praise from other figures in literary and media circles.

Between the lines: - The memoir is not just personal testimony; it is also a direct critique of traditions and social practices that Al Balushi says continue to harm women and children. - By tying private memory to language preservation and historical documentation, the book positions itself as both a social statement and a cultural record. - The Gaza reference in Al-Mahrouqi’s praise places the memoir in a wider regional conversation about suffering, justice and human dignity.

What's next: - More release details are expected once the publisher confirms them. - The book will be available on Amazon and other international platforms after publication. - No event date has been set yet for an official launch.**