How Khunfus Became a Love Letter to Print in Saudi Publishing
In a world constantly told that print is a relic of the past, three young Saudi women are crafting a different story. They are building a publishing house not as a last stand for paper, but as a vibrant celebration of it—a place where books are cherished as cultural artifacts, storytelling vessels, and beautiful objects meant to be held.
Founded in 2025 by sisters Maria and Lama Alem and their friend Haya Bakhashab, Khunfus is a heartfelt response to the familiar refrain that people don’t read anymore. “We grew up hearing that the ink is running out,” Maria shared. But what they saw around them wasn’t a lack of readers; it was a disconnect. They noticed stunning Arabic texts paired with weak design, and visually captivating books where the words didn’t sing with the same power.
Their vision? To bring text and visuals together to create something new: a holistic, immersive experience.
The Beetle and the Book
The name itself, Khunfus (meaning ‘beetles’), is a clue to their philosophy. It comes from a folk tale their grandmother told, evoking warmth and nostalgia. “It’s about finding the beauty in the mundane or the unexpected,” Lama explained. It’s a distinctly local, everyday creature, not an exotic symbol—a perfect emblem for their mission to find profound stories in familiar ground.
Each founder brings a crucial talent to the table: Maria focuses on editing and structure, Lama anchors the literary heart, and Haya oversees the visual identity. Together, they are driven by a belief in publishing as a home for “diverse, different, contradicting and warring voices.”
A Debut Rooted in Jeddah and Magic
Their first title, “Book of Rajab,” embodies their ethos. It’s a collection of illustrated Arabic short stories set in a single, magical day in Jeddah—the first of the Islamic month of Rajab. The book, an ode to intergenerational stories and a changing city, blends mythology, local folklore, and emotional depth.
To realize this vision, they collaborated with Palestinian-Spanish illustrator Nader Sharaf, who had never visited Jeddah. Through a rich archive of photos and shared memories, the Khunfus team bridged the gap, guiding Sharaf to create dreamlike illustrations that are deeply culturally informed. The success of this collaboration was so profound that Sharaf was named a finalist for a prestigious Spanish illustration award, proving the universal power of locally-rooted stories.
Building a Community, Not Just a Catalog
Khunfus is deliberately intimate. They speak of warmth, friendliness, and organic community—hosting private readings with friends during the creative process and actively building a circle of collaborators and readers. Support from local cultural hubs like the Islamic Arts Biennale and grants from initiatives like Ithra have provided a vital platform, while advice from established Saudi publishers like Dar Arwa has been invaluable.
Their upcoming project, “A Wild Companion,” expands their gaze from Jeddah’s streets to Saudi Arabia’s natural landscapes. The first in a series, it explores the flora and fauna of the Sarawat and Hijaz mountains through poetry, storytelling, and art—again, blending meticulous research with creative expression.
The Legacy of Telling New Stories
Khunfus is more than a publisher; it’s a statement. In a cultural moment often focused on scale, they champion depth, design, and deliberate collaboration. They are not trying to preserve culture under glass, but to show it as something alive, changing, and endlessly inspiring.
As illustrator Nader Sharaf reflected, “Fiction represents and defines what a nation craves for, what a nation dreams of.” With every carefully considered page, Khunfus is helping to dream and define a new chapter for Saudi storytelling—one beautiful, beetle-inspired book at a time.
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