Between Fiction and the Archive

Literature for Historians

Abstract

This article examines the complex relationship between literature and literary studies and historiography, aiming to illustrate both the potential and the challenges involved in using literary works and theory for historical research. The discussion seeks to establish three main arguments. First, despite continuous efforts to distinguish between literature and history, the two fields are interconnected at various levels, and the influence of literary studies on modern historiography is deeper than many of us tend to acknowledge. Second, despite these influences and the potential inherent in literature, historians of the Middle East rarely use literary theory or employ literary works as sources. This tendency is particularly pronounced in the study of Palestinian history, which is the focus of this issue of Jama`a. Finally, the article demonstrates that a historical discussion of literary works cannot be limited to viewing them as mere “windows” into the past. Literary works do not simply “reflect” societies—they also shape them in various ways that historians must consider.