Follow-Up Request to Saudi Minister of Culture and Information

                                                                                                      
April 22, 2008

Hon. Iyad bin Amin Madani
Saudi Minister of Culture and Information
P.O. 570
Riyadh, 11161
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Your Excellency:

I submitted an application for the approval of “If Olaya Street Could Talk,” ISBN-10: 0979043603 over six months ago, on November 15, 2007. As indicated in my original application, the book is a realistic account of life in the Kingdom.  In addition to the review previously indicated in Al Hayat, there was a review published in the Khaleej Times in the United Arab Emirates. There was also a positive, in-depth interview in Al-Majallah. All these, and others are posted on my website, www.tazapress.com.

I have received a pending request for 300 copies from Jarir books.  It is “pending” your approval of the book. As they indicated in their e-mail, there really is no other book in English that properly covers this period of time in the Kingdom’s development, and highlights in a reasonable way the cultural interactions of Saudis and Westerners.

I would appreciate hearing your final determination on my application. If you decide against approval, I would appreciate it if you returned the five copies to me so that I may donate them to American educational institutions that have requested them.

Thank you for your consideration.

                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                     John P. Jones III