[b]Rajaa al-Sanea [/b](Arabic: رجاء الصانع‎; born 1981) is a Saudi writer who became famous through her novel Girls of Riyadh, or Banat al-Riyadh. The book was first published in Lebanon in 2005 and in English in 2007. The book was long-listed for the Dublin Literary Award in 2009. As far as the novel goes, independent critics believe it is simplistic and chaotic in occasions but due to the negative publicity it received when first published and the backing of the liberal lobby in Saudi Arabia, sales figures have been relatively high in this country only. Al-Sanea grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the daughter of a family of doctors. She currently lives in Chicago where she is a dental graduate student. She received her bachelor's degree in Dentistry from King Saud University in 2005. Her novel and lifestyle have caused controversy especially among the conservative sections of the Saudi society but more liberal-minded individuals considered her a role model. Википедия