Zahra Freeth (néeIrene Zahra Dickson; 1924/1925 – 20 May 2015[1][2]) was a British author who wrote primarily about the Middle East. She was the daughter of H. R. P. Dickson (died 1959) and Dame Violet Dickson (died 4 January 1991).
Zahra Dickson grew up in Kuwait. There, she and her family would spend time collecting animal and plant specimens for the Natural History Museum and Kew Gardens, discovering one plant and two insects that were previously unknown to science. One of the latter, a grasshopper, was named after Zahra: Utubius syriacus zahrae,[3] now known simply as Utubius syriacus.[4]
She later attended boarding schools in England, including Cheltenham Ladies College, and studied for her BA at Girton College, University of Cambridge.[5] Her first book, Kuwait Was My Home, was published in 1956. She accompanied her husband, Richard Freeth, whom she married in 1951[6][7] to the bauxite mining town of Mackenzie, British Guiana (now Linden, Guyana) and wrote Run Softly, Demerara (1960) about her experiences there.
Her later writings were on Middle Eastern topics, including a children's book, Rashid of Saudi Arabia (2001). She lived in Essex. Her brother, Hanmer Yorke Warrington Saud ("Dickie") Dickson, MBE, who had served as H.M. Acting Commissioner in Anguilla,[8][9] died in May 2005.
Deathedit
Zahra Freeth died on 20 May 2015, aged 90, after a short illness. Her obituary in the Girton College alumni magazine described her as "a respected author who wrote about Kuwait and Arabia in the days before the oil boom".[10]
Legacyedit
Freeth's writings are of use to modern-day anthropologists studying the change in Kuwaiti society. One such study commented that the "transformation of social values is clearly revealed in the history writings of Kuwait in the 1940s and 1950s, particularly in the work of Zahra Freeth, the daughter of a British diplomat who lived in Kuwait before and after the discovery of oil."[11]
Books by Zahra Freethedit
Kuwait Was My Home. London: Allen and Unwin (1956)
Run Softly, Demerara. London: Allen and Unwin (1960)
A New Look at Kuwait. London: Allen and Unwin (1972), ISBN9780049530089
Kuwait: Prospect and Reality. London: Allen and Unwin (1972) with H. V. F. Winstone
Explorers of Arabia: From Renaissance to the End of the Victorian Era. London: Allen and Unwin (1978) edited by H. V. F. Winstone and Zahra Freeth
"A Journey to Hail". Saudi Aramco World 31 (3) (May/June 1980) with H. V. F. Winstone
The Arab of the Desert by H. R. P Dickson (1983), 3rd edition revised and abridged; edited by Robert Wilson and Zahra Freeth
Rashid of Saudi Arabia. Lutterworth Press (2001) with Gordon Stowell, ISBN9780718823900
Zahra Freeth also wrote the introduction to Traditional Architecture in Kuwait and the Northern Gulf by Ronald Lewcock. London: Art and Archaeology Research Papers and The United Bank of Kuwait (1978)
Referencesedit
^Creating the Arabian Gulf: The British Raj and the Invasions of the Gulf, Paul Rich, Lexington Books, 2009, pg. 216
^. announcements.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
zahra, freeth, née, irene, zahra, dickson, 1924, 1925, 2015, british, author, wrote, primarily, about, middle, east, daughter, dickson, died, 1959, dame, violet, dickson, died, january, 1991, contents, life, death, legacy, books, references, further, readingli. Zahra Freeth nee Irene Zahra Dickson 1924 1925 20 May 2015 1 2 was a British author who wrote primarily about the Middle East She was the daughter of H R P Dickson died 1959 and Dame Violet Dickson died 4 January 1991 Contents 1 Life 2 Death 3 Legacy 4 Books by Zahra Freeth 5 References 6 Further readingLife editZahra Dickson grew up in Kuwait There she and her family would spend time collecting animal and plant specimens for the Natural History Museum and Kew Gardens discovering one plant and two insects that were previously unknown to science One of the latter a grasshopper was named after Zahra Utubius syriacus zahrae 3 now known simply as Utubius syriacus 4 She later attended boarding schools in England including Cheltenham Ladies College and studied for her BA at Girton College University of Cambridge 5 Her first book Kuwait Was My Home was published in 1956 She accompanied her husband Richard Freeth whom she married in 1951 6 7 to the bauxite mining town of Mackenzie British Guiana now Linden Guyana and wrote Run Softly Demerara 1960 about her experiences there Her later writings were on Middle Eastern topics including a children s book Rashid of Saudi Arabia 2001 She lived in Essex Her brother Hanmer Yorke Warrington Saud Dickie Dickson MBE who had served as H M Acting Commissioner in Anguilla 8 9 died in May 2005 Death editZahra Freeth died on 20 May 2015 aged 90 after a short illness Her obituary in the Girton College alumni magazine described her as a respected author who wrote about Kuwait and Arabia in the days before the oil boom 10 Legacy editFreeth s writings are of use to modern day anthropologists studying the change in Kuwaiti society One such study commented that the transformation of social values is clearly revealed in the history writings of Kuwait in the 1940s and 1950s particularly in the work of Zahra Freeth the daughter of a British diplomat who lived in Kuwait before and after the discovery of oil 11 Books by Zahra Freeth editKuwait Was My Home London Allen and Unwin 1956 Run Softly Demerara London Allen and Unwin 1960 A New Look at Kuwait London Allen and Unwin 1972 ISBN 9780049530089 Kuwait Prospect and Reality London Allen and Unwin 1972 with H V F Winstone Explorers of Arabia From Renaissance to the End of the Victorian Era London Allen and Unwin 1978 edited by H V F Winstone and Zahra Freeth A Journey to Hail Saudi Aramco World 31 3 May June 1980 with H V F Winstone The Arab of the Desert by H R P Dickson 1983 3rd edition revised and abridged edited by Robert Wilson and Zahra Freeth Rashid of Saudi Arabia Lutterworth Press 2001 with Gordon Stowell ISBN 9780718823900 Zahra Freeth also wrote the introduction to Traditional Architecture in Kuwait and the Northern Gulf by Ronald Lewcock London Art and Archaeology Research Papers and The United Bank of Kuwait 1978 References edit Creating the Arabian Gulf The British Raj and the Invasions of the Gulf Paul Rich Lexington Books 2009 pg 216 FREETH Deaths Announcements Telegraph Announcements announcements telegraph co uk Archived from the original on 25 December 2017 Retrieved 25 December 2017 The Year 2016 Synonym Utubius syriacus zahrae Uvarov 1936 Orthoptera Species File The Year 2016 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 28 June 2021 Retrieved 25 May 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Violet Dickson Collection sant ox ac uk Accessed 22 April 2022 Laws of Anguilla 1974 1976 p 345 Warsidaha Ururka Ingiriiska Iyo Soomaalida Journal of the Anglo Somali Society collected vols 33 40 The Anglo Somali Society 2003 pg 63 The Year 2016 Zaha F M M Alsuwailan The Impact of Societal Values on Kuwaiti Women and the Role of Education PhD thesis 2006 online 1 Further reading editObituary Article about Zahra Freeth nbsp Children s literature portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Zahra Freeth amp oldid 1169439834, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
