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Academics seem to agree that Qatari literature dates back to the 19th<\/sup> century, a period in which poetry was the main form of expression, with verses centered on the vocations of fishing and pearl-diving. The country\u2019s discovery of oil in the mid-20th<\/sup> century saw many Qataris discard their Bedouin traditions and practices to transition into a more urban lifestyle. As such, literature became divided into two periods: one before the oil period, dominated by poetry; and another, following the discovery of oil, that saw the emergence and predominance of the short story and the novel.<\/p>\n The increased prosperity of the country allowed for the introduction of formal education as well as the chance for Qataris to travel abroad to attend higher institutes of education. The rise in literacy meant that literature, in all its forms, could now be written down by more people. With Qataris\u2019 increased wealth and mobility of travel, Qatari literature was soon emulating the writing styles and practices of neighboring countries with more established literary cultures, such as Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon.<\/p>\n Despite its declining dominance, poetry has remained a long-honored genre even in the 21st<\/sup> century, most notably during the 2010 uprisings in the region, which witnessed the re-emergence of political poetry. Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami was imprisoned in 2012 allegedly for publicly reading a poem in which he criticized Qatar’s emir. \u00a0He was finally released in March 2016, after four years of detention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n