Famous Palestinian Writers

Vote for Your Favourite Palestinian Writers

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 1 
Mahmoud Darwish
3
Birthdate: March 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Al-Birwa
Died: August 9, 2008

Revered as the Palestinian national poet, Mahmoud Darwish was born in al-Birwa, a village that was ravaged by Israelis. He was exiled in Paris and Beirut for many years and was even once put in prison for reciting a poem. His writing style merged traditional Arabic forms with modern elements.

 2 
Suha Arafat
(Author)
Suha Arafat
5
Birthdate: July 17, 1963
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
 3 
Epiphanius of Salamis
(Bishop of Salamis)
Epiphanius of Salamis
3
Birthdate: 0310 AD
Birthplace: Eleutheropolis, Palestine
Died: April 12, 0403
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 4 
Susan Abulhawa
(Writer)
Susan Abulhawa
2
Birthdate: June 3, 1970
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kuwait
 5 
Hegesippus
(Writer)
Hegesippus
2
Birthdate: 0110 AD
Birthplace: Palestine
Died: April 7, 0180
 6 
Kamal Nasser
(Palestinian Writer, Poet, and Political Leader)
Kamal Nasser
2
Birthdate: 1924 AD
Birthplace: Gaza, Mandatory Palestine
Died: April 10, 1973
Kamal Nasser was a Palestinian writer, poet, and political leader. A published poet, Nasser wrote many poems, some of which were translated into English. He also co-founded the al-Ba‘ath newspaper and the al-Jil al-Jadid newspaper. Kamal Nasser also served as the editor of another newspaper named Filastin al-Thawra.  
 7 
Raymonda Tawil
(Writer)
Raymonda Tawil
2
Birthdate: 1940 AD
Birthplace: Acre in Mandatory Palestine
 8 
Fadwa Tuqan
(Poet)
Fadwa Tuqan
2
Birthdate: 1917 AD
Birthplace: Nablus, Mandatory Palestine
Died: December 12, 2003
 9 
Tamim al-Barghouti
(Palestinian-Egyptian Columnist, Poet, and Political Scientist)
Tamim al-Barghouti
2
Birthdate: June 13, 1977
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt

Tamim al-Barghouti is a Palestinian-Egyptian columnist, poet, and political scientist. Dubbed the poet of Jerusalem, Tamim is best known for his critically acclaimed poem In Jerusalem, which he presented in a television competition show called Prince of Poets in 2007. Tamim al-Barghouti has also worked as a professor at Georgetown University and the Free University of Berlin. 

 10 
Mourid Barghouti
(Poet)
Mourid Barghouti
2
Birthdate: July 8, 1944
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Deir Ghassana, Mandatory Palestine
 11 
Saul Tchernichowsky
(Poet)
Saul Tchernichowsky
2
Birthdate: August 20, 1875
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Crimea, Ukraine
Died: October 14, 1943
 12 
Ghada Karmi
(Doctor of medicine)
Ghada Karmi
1
Birthdate: 1939 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem

Palestinian doctor of medicine, author and academic Ghada Karmi is associated with the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter as research fellow and lecturer. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Karmi has penned several articles on Palestinian issues in Wayback Machine and in newspapers and magazines like Journal of Palestine Studies and The Guardian.

 13 
May Ziadeh
(A Pioneer of Oriental Feminism in Arab Literary World and Key Figure in the 'Nahda' Movement)
May Ziadeh
1
Birthdate: February 11, 1886
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nazareth, Vilayet of Syria
Died: October 17, 1941

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.

 14 
Samih al-Qasim
(Poet)
Samih al-Qasim
2
Birthdate: May 11, 1939
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Zarqa, Emirate of Transjordan (now Jordan)
Died: August 19, 2014

Samih al-Qasim was a Palestinian poet whose work is renowned throughout the Arab world. He contributed immensely to popular journals like Al-Jadid, Al-Ittihad, and Index. Samih al-Qasim is also remembered for his political career; he became part of the Israeli Communist Party after the Six-Day War in 1967.

 15 
Annemarie Jacir
(Film director, Screenwriter, Poet, Writer)
Annemarie Jacir
1
Birthdate: January 17, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bethlehem
 16 
Khalil al-Sakakini
(Teacher)
Khalil al-Sakakini
1
Birthdate: January 23, 1878
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: August 13, 1953
 17 
Reem Kassis
(Writer)
Reem Kassis
1
Birthdate: 1987 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem
 18 
Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
(Author)
Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
1
Birthdate: August 28, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bethlehem
Died: December 12, 1994
 19 
Sahar Khalifeh
(Writer)
Sahar Khalifeh
1
Birthdate: 1941 AD
Birthplace: Nablus, Palestine
 20 
Remi Kanazi
(Poet)
Remi Kanazi
1
Birthdate: January 6, 1981
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: United States
 21 
Adania Shibli
(Author)
Adania Shibli
1
Birthdate: 1974 AD
Birthplace: Palestine
 22 
Suad Amiry
(Author)
Suad Amiry
1
Birthdate: 1951 AD
Birthplace: West Bank, Ramallah
 23 
Jean Said Makdisi
(Writer)
Jean Said Makdisi
0
Birthdate: 1940 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
 24 
Rashid Hussein
(Poet)
Rashid Hussein
1
Birthdate: 1936 AD
Birthplace: Musmus, British Mandate of Palestine
Died: February 2, 1977
 25 
Ibtisam Barakat
(Author)
Ibtisam Barakat
1
Birthdate: October 2, 1963
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: East Jerusalem
 26 
Nadia Hijab
(Palestinian Political Analyst, Journalist, and Author)
Nadia Hijab
1
Birthdate: 1950 AD
Birthplace: Aleppo, Syria
Nadia Hijab is a Palestinian political analyst, journalist, and author. Best known for her comments on Middle East affairs and human rights, Nadia Hijab is credited with co-founding Al-Shabaka, a transnational think tank that aims at bringing together Palestinian writers and thinkers from all over the world.
 27 
Hanan Al-Agha
(Writer)
Hanan Al-Agha
1
Birthdate: 1948 AD
Birthplace: Jaffa, Israel
Died: April 19, 2008
 28 
Serene Husseini Shahid
(Jamal al-Husayni's daughter)
Serene Husseini Shahid
0
Birthdate: 1920 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: 2008 AD
 29 
Dana Dajani
(Palestinian Actress and Writer)
Dana Dajani
0
Birthplace: Palestine
 30 
Farah Chamma
Farah Chamma
0
Birthdate: 1994 AD
Birthplace: United Arab Emirates

Farah Chamma is a Palestinian spoken-word poet best known as the founder of a band called Parea that combines music with spoken word. A popular poet, Chamma is part of the famous Poeticians Club where she is one of the youngest members. A polyglot, Farah Chamma can speak six languages including French, English, and Arabic.

 31 
Samah Jabr
(Psychiatrist)
Samah Jabr
0
Birthdate: August 8, 1976
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jerusalem
 32 
Liana Badr
(Novelist)
Liana Badr
1
Birthdate: 1951 AD
Birthplace: Jericho, Palestine
 33 
Elias Sanbar
(Historian)
Elias Sanbar
0
Birthdate: February 16, 1947
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel

Palestinian historian, essayist, poet, translator and diplomat Elias Sanbar serves as Palestinian ambassador to the UNESCO since 2012. He is one of the founders of Revue d'études palestiniennes (The Journal of Palestine Studies) and served as its editor-in-chief for 25 years. His book The Palestinians won the Palestine Book Awards in 2015. His works include translating Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry into French.

 34 
Samira Azzam
(Writer)
Samira Azzam
0
Birthdate: September 13, 1927
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Acre, Palestine
Died: August 8, 1967
 35 
Lama Abu-Odeh
(Professor)
Lama Abu-Odeh
2
Birthdate: December 24, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Amman, Jordan
 36 
Muin Bseiso
(Poet)
Muin Bseiso
0
Birthdate: 1926 AD
Birthplace: Gaza, Palestine
Died: January 23, 1984
 37 
Said Al Muzayin
(Poet)
Said Al Muzayin
0
Birthdate: 1935 AD
Birthplace: Isdud, Mandatory Palestine
Died: March 29, 1991
 38 
Selma Dabbagh
(Writer)
Selma Dabbagh
0
Birthdate: 1970 AD
Birthplace: Scotland
 39 
Taghreed Najjar
(Writer)
Taghreed Najjar
0
Birthdate: September 28, 1951
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Jordan
 40 
Islah Jad
(Author)
Islah Jad
0
Birthdate: December 4, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
 41 
Huzama Habayeb
(Novelist)
Huzama Habayeb
0
Birthdate: June 4, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kuwait
 42 
Abu Salma
(Award Winning Palestinian Poet Who Was Known for His Patriotic Poetry)
Abu Salma
0
Birthdate: November 30, 1909
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tulkarm, Palestine
Died: October 11, 1980

While he initially studied law in Haifa, poet Abu Salma fled to Aacre when the Israelis conquered the city. He struck up a friendship with poet Ibrahim Tuqan and later won many awards such as the Lotus International Reward for Literature for his works such as My Brush Is from Palestine.

 43 
Abdulla Issa
(National Poet of Palestine)
Abdulla Issa
0
Birthdate: January 15, 1964
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Yarmouk Camp, Syria
Abdulla Issa is a Palestinian poet, journalist, film producer, political analyst, and winner of several literary awards. Recognized as the national poet of Palestine, Abdulla Issa is also known for his work as the editor of several magazines like New Tomorrow and Poets.