Famous Lebanese Writers

Lebanese author and poet Khalil Gibran is best remembered for his bestselling works The Prophet and Broken Wings. One of the leaders of the Mahjar movement of Arabic literature, he specialized in incorporating mythological and mystical symbols in his works and was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche and William Blake.

Lebanese-American author and activist Brigitte Gabriel is known for her prominent anti-Muslim stance. She went through a troubled childhood in Lebanon, after her village was bombed by Muslim radicals. She lived in Israel as a refugee, before moving to the US and launching the anti-Islam organization ACT! for America.

Assi Rahbani, part of the Lebanese composer duo The Rahbani Brothers, which also had his brother Mansour Rahbani, previously worked with Near East Radio. He later mostly composed music for his singer wife Nouhad Haddad, better known as Fairuz. The husband-wife duo also appeared in movies such as The Exile.

Lebanese politician and the founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Antoun Saadeh was also a prolific author, who wrote several books while in prison. He announced a revolution in Lebanon and was promised support by Syria, though Syria handed him over to the Lebanese government, which eventually executed him.

Lebanese-America poet Elia Abu Madi started his career as a cigarette seller. He later moved to the US, where he began editing magazines and newspapers associated with the Arab community, such as Mir ʾāt al-gharb. Al-Jadawil, or The Streams, was one of his best-known poem collections from his later career.

Best known for his allegorical book The Book of Mirdad, Mikhail Naimy was a Lebanese Greek poet who co-founded the Mahjar movement also known as the New York Pen League, along with his friend, Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran and others. His written works include poetry, drama, short stories, and novels.

Arab-American author Ameen Rihani started his career as a bookkeeper in Manhattan. He later also toured as an actor with a Shakespearean theater group. His written works include the English novel The Book of Khalid and Arabic works such as Al-Rīḥāniyyāt. He was a significant part of the Mahjar literary movement.

Arabic scholar Butrus al-Bustani is best remembered for an Arabic dictionary and an Arabic encyclopaedia that he had penned. He also launched the political and literary review al-Jinān, or The Shield. Himself a Christian, he later became the first Syrian nationalist and worked toward cultural harmony in Syria.

One of the two Rahbani Brothers, Mansour Rahbani, along with his brother, Assi, enriched the Lebanese music scene with their legendary compositions. They also developed the unique Rahbani singing theater and composed music for a few films. Mansour and Assi later formed a trio with Assi’s wife, Fairuz.

A pioneering Arab feminist and romantic poet, May Ziadeh was a major figure of the Nahda, or the Arab Enlightenment of the 20th century. She initially mostly wrote in French, using the pseudonym Isis Copia, while she later drifted toward Arabic. Al-Mûsawât and Sawâneh fatât remain 2 of her best-known works.

Mai Ghoussoub was a Lebanese artist, human rights activist, writer, and publisher. Ghoussoub is credited with co-founding the London-based Saqi publishing house and bookshop. Established in 1979, the bookshop was the first of its kind in London to specialize in Arabic works.

Lebanese-born author and set designer Juman Malouf mostly grew up in London. Educated in art history and costume design in the US, she later designed sets for various films and plays. She penned the novel The Trilogy of Two. Married to filmmaker Wes Anderson, she has also been part of his films.