Mayy Ziyada, pioneer in the creation of modern Arabic literary criticism

This study refutes the theory promoted by a group of intellectuals close to Mayy Ziyada's environment, who question her originality as a writer. Based on the analysis of excerpts from the correspondence between Mayy Ziyada and Ya'qub Sarruf, friend and director of the magazine al-Muqta.af, the comments of the contemporary cultural elite are examined. In them, opinions are expressed not only about Ziyada's work methodology, but also about her distinctive attributes as an author. These testimonies provide a new perspective on the literary contribution of this author, a relevant member of nahda literature.