Shiyam's astounding short stories

This short story collection published on 1 April 2022 by Ahmed Shiyam, who is a journalist, author and VTV presenter, addresses a host of social issues plaguing Maldives' society from the 1970s and up to contemporary times.

Shiyam is the author of a book about the SinaMale' bridge (the "China-Maldives Friendship Bridge") linking Maldives' capital Male' to the airport island Hulhule.

He is also the author of a book covering 40 successful years of the public limited company (PLC) Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

In this short story collection, compiled from Vaguthu online news website which first published them during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, literally titled "Ahmed Shiyam's 30 Short Stories", the author bravely covers sensitive issues such as adultery, lust, incest, betrayal, divorce, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse and even rape - rampant factors that risk breaking apart the social fabric of Maldives' society.

In addition to catering to the nostalgia of life and culture of Maldives, Shiyam also incorporates positive and optimistic stories about romance, courtship, friendship and platonic love.

In a foreword to the book, the author says that his inspiration for the short stories were driven by his own experiences of traveling to all the inhabited islands of Maldives and from real experiences of his friends and people he knows.

Quite inevitably, he covers the loss of the idyllic island lifestyle resulting in migration to the congested and polluted urban centre of Male', leading to people feeling isolation and alienation.

This is a highly commendable work by a writer who has experienced more than three decades of journalism, and I would greatly recommend these short stories to anyone wanting to understand the collective Maldivian mentality that gives purpose and meaning to life of individual Maldivians.