Laila al-Othman (sometimes Laylā al-'Uthmān) is a Kuwaiti writer, novelist, short story writer, and a famous fictionist who was born into a prominent Kuwaiti family in 1943, and only 22 years later she made her writing debut in a local newspaper featuring her opinion on social and literary issues.
[1] Laila al-Othman, is the fourth girl of the family, she was born in 1943 in Kuwait at a small seaside town.
However, she was withdrawn from school due to old Arab traditions that forced women to stay home after the marriage of their older siblings.
After she graduated from her local high school, she did not pursue a post-secondary education, but she was still able to succeed as a writer.
Simultaneously, al-Othman's father tried to prevent her from publishing, but when he died shortly after her marriage her name appeared in many newspapers and publications.
[2] al-Othman was remarried to Walid Abu Bakr, a fellow Kuwaiti writer and novelist.
She recounted these painful memories in many of her written pieces including Ayyâm Fi al-Yaman (Days in Yemen) and Yawmiyyât as-Sabr wa al-Murr (A Diary of Patience and Bitterness).
The fighting in the country that she loved since her visit at the age of 8 years old inspired her to write Al-‘Asas (The Coccyx) and Al-Mahkama (The Trial).
Lubnan Nisf al-Qalb (Lebanon, The Heart’s Other Half) is based on her love for Lebanon that she developed when she visited the country for the first time at the age of 8 years old, "Wasmiyya comes out of the Sea," is based on her birth when her mother tried to throw her out the window, "Days in Yemen" and "A Diary of Patience and Bitterness," are parallels of her experiences with the Kuwaiti and Iraqi conflict.
The prize is presented every two years to one talented young Arab writer for his or her creative fiction writings.