Back in the 70s there was a British journalist living in Kuwait by the name of Keith Wells. He used to work for the Arab Times and in his spare time he also used to write books about Kuwait, including a witty series on a character named Wizr who was Kuwait’s greatest driver. Between 1979 and 1984, Keith released three Wizr books but sadly there really isn’t a lot of information on them nor Keith online. In fact, there is a blog dedicated to keeping Keith and his Wizr series alive but even the blog doesn’t have much info nor content. The books document life in Kuwait during that period with humor and nicely drawn illustrations.
Since The Kuwait Bookshops is closing this might be your only chance to own one of his Wizr books. In 1984 he released “The Last Wizr Book” and The Kuwait Bookshops in Muthana still has copies of it remaining and they’re selling them cheap for KD1.5 (the bookshop is selling everything for 50% off). The book was his last one on the Wizr since the illustrator he had teamed up with for the previous two books had passed away. I tried to find the other two books online and I managed to snag his second book (pictured above) on eBay for KD7.5 and his first book on the series (pictured below) for KD16. It was more than what I wanted to pay, but I somehow felt compelled to save this part of Kuwait’s history. So try to grab his last book from Muthana if you can.
If anyone has any interesting information related to Keith or his books let me know.
12 replies on “Wizr, Kuwait’s Greatest Driver”
This looks awesome. I would love to own some of these. Like you said, it would feel like owning a part of Kuwait’s history. Two questions:
Any idea if these are comics?
And when does the Bookstore close?
they’re not comics, they are very short stories (each book containing a few) and each story has a picture illustrated.
What are the book store timings?
only matter of time until his work get copied by our local illustrators and then sell it on tshirts and mugs.
Keith Wells and the WIZR books were pretty big in Kuwait during the 1980s. They were mostly sold at Kuwait Bookstore as you posted.
I remember our New English School crowd would gobble them up during our spare time. That era, full of young Transam-driving-Kool&theGang-listening-hotshots was personified in Wizr, the art was absolutely spot on, the illustrations were world class.
To live through an era and simultaneously read a parody of it – as we did with the Wizr series – was really something.
Looking back, it was an innocent time compared to today, and these short stories capture that era quite well.
Why is Kuwait erasing its own past? Most of the buildings that were demolished over the past few years had architectural and historical value (Salmiya cylindrical building, Salmiya Cinema, etc). I love the new Kuwaiti skyline, I think it’s beautiful. But isn’t there a way to keep the old and make it coexist with the modern? Other major cities do it. Why can’t we? Most Kuwaitis talk down at Dubai, saying that it’s artificial and modern, no culture… How are we different from the non-cultured-modern-Emirati cities if Kuwait keeps erasing its own historical buildings, buildings that date back to before the war, to build new malls and other non-essential places of interest? Favorite place in Kuwait: Mubarakiya …The only place left in Kuwait that reminds me of the images I envisioned of Arabia as a child whilst my parents read stories from One thousand and One Arabian nights.
With the prices of real estate, land owners want to maximize their profits and one way to do that is tear down old buildings that are not making enough money and either sell the land or build another building with a modern look that can be rented for a huge amount.
It’s sad really because we’ll end up forgetting what the area looked like a few years later.
Two years ago Keith was located in Australia. He was quite surprised that some people in Kuwait still remembered him and/or his books. When asked if he wanted to part with the publishing rights to his book the figure he quoted was a whopping 10,000 US. Guess, that was the end of it then!
I have from time to time sold some of his books including some signed copies. If anyone wants to get a humorous insight into life in Kuwait then (I suppose little has changed since then!), these books are surely a must read or own.
Stumbled on a local blog which introduces Keith and his books to people who don’t know much about him.
https://wizr.blogspot.com/
how can I get a hold of him?
WIZR!
Dozi Salam may be gone but his many offspring keep the bureaucracy ‘running’.
Keith Wells also wrote a very funny column in the Arab Times in the late 80’s. It may be worth searching their archive.
That was the era of ‘”Spitting Image”, we need more satire.
I would love to buy all 3 Wizer books.how can I get them .
there is someone selling all 3 for 600kd if you’re interested