Ghada al-Samman
Encyclopedia
Ghada al-Samman is an Arab
Syrian writer
, journalist
and novel
ist born in Damascus
in 1942 to a prominent and conservative Damascene family, she is remotely related to Nizar Qabbani
the famous poet
. Her father was Dr. Ahmed al-Samman, PhD, a president of the Syrian University. She was deeply influenced by him since her mother died at a very young age.
at the same time; this influenced her deeply and gave her a unique style that combines attributes of both. Nevertheless, she soon was confronted with the conservative Damascene society in which she was raised and lived her early years.
She published her first book of short stories عيناك قدري “Your Eyes are my Destiny” in 1962 which was received reasonably well. However, she was lumped at the time with other traditional feminine writers. Her later publications took her out of the tight range of feminist and love novels to much wider social, humanist and physiological extents.
She graduated from the Syrian University in 1963 with a BA in English Literature and left to Beirut
to earn her Masters Degree in Theatre from American University of Beirut
; since then she had not returned to Damascus.
In Beirut she worked in journalism
and in 1965 she published her second collection لا بحر في بيروت “No Sea in Beirut” in which the effect of her new, now wider experiences are evident. She then traveled around Europe
working as a correspondent
and in 1966 published her third collection ليل الغرباء “Foreigners’ Nights” reflecting her experiences.
The Six-Day War
had a shock effect on her as it did on many of her generation, this was evident in her famous article
احمل عاري إلى لندن “I Carry My Shame to London”, after that she did not publish any books for six years but her journalistic articles became closer to the social reality and made her popular. The articles she wrote during that period became the source of some of her later publications.
In 1973 she published her fourth collection, رحيل المرافئ القديمة “The Departure of Old Ports”, considered by some critiques
one of the most important of her works. In this collection of short stories she described in a literary fashion the dilemma of the Arab
intellectual
of the time and the conflict between his/her thought and actions. She published her first novel, بيروت 75 “Beirut 75” around the end of 1974. The novel describes the complex social problems in Beirut and started with a prophecy by one of the characters of the novel, a fortune teller that says: “I see blood, I see a lot of blood”. A few months later the civil war
broke out in Lebanon.
After the publication of two more novels, كوابيس بيروت “Beirut Nightmares" in 1977, which describes life in civil-war-torn Beirut in the mid-Seventies, and ليلة المليار “The Eve of Billion” in 1986, she was referred to as the most prominent modern Arab writer by some critics.
It is believed that some of her letters many reveal some information about some prominent Palestinian
writers and poets during the 1960s, of the people her name was linked with are: Nasir eDdin Al Nashashibi, the journalist and Kamal Nasir, the late poet.
In 1993 she caused a scene in the literary and political arenas when she published a collection of love letters written to her by Ghassan Kanafani
in the sixties when she had a love affair with him, which was no secret at the time. She was condemned for publishing them by some claiming that her intention was to smear the late writer’s reputation and/or to negatively affect the Palestinian Case
.
She has also written a few criticism books and translated some of her works to several worldwide languages. Ghada has been living in Paris
since the mid 1980s and regularly writes in an Arabic magazine published in London
. She refuses any invitations for TV interviews since she had a bad experience when she was interviewed in Cairo
and found out that the interviewer had not read any of her works.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
Syrian writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist born in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in 1942 to a prominent and conservative Damascene family, she is remotely related to Nizar Qabbani
Nizar Qabbani
Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani was a Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher. His poetic style combines simplicity and elegance in exploring themes of love, eroticism, feminism, religion, and Arab nationalism...
the famous poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Her father was Dr. Ahmed al-Samman, PhD, a president of the Syrian University. She was deeply influenced by him since her mother died at a very young age.
Career
Her father was both fond of Western literature and Arabic literatureArabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
at the same time; this influenced her deeply and gave her a unique style that combines attributes of both. Nevertheless, she soon was confronted with the conservative Damascene society in which she was raised and lived her early years.
She published her first book of short stories عيناك قدري “Your Eyes are my Destiny” in 1962 which was received reasonably well. However, she was lumped at the time with other traditional feminine writers. Her later publications took her out of the tight range of feminist and love novels to much wider social, humanist and physiological extents.
She graduated from the Syrian University in 1963 with a BA in English Literature and left to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
to earn her Masters Degree in Theatre from American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
; since then she had not returned to Damascus.
In Beirut she worked in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and in 1965 she published her second collection لا بحر في بيروت “No Sea in Beirut” in which the effect of her new, now wider experiences are evident. She then traveled around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
working as a correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
and in 1966 published her third collection ليل الغرباء “Foreigners’ Nights” reflecting her experiences.
The Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
had a shock effect on her as it did on many of her generation, this was evident in her famous article
Article (publishing)
An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...
احمل عاري إلى لندن “I Carry My Shame to London”, after that she did not publish any books for six years but her journalistic articles became closer to the social reality and made her popular. The articles she wrote during that period became the source of some of her later publications.
In 1973 she published her fourth collection, رحيل المرافئ القديمة “The Departure of Old Ports”, considered by some critiques
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
one of the most important of her works. In this collection of short stories she described in a literary fashion the dilemma of the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
of the time and the conflict between his/her thought and actions. She published her first novel, بيروت 75 “Beirut 75” around the end of 1974. The novel describes the complex social problems in Beirut and started with a prophecy by one of the characters of the novel, a fortune teller that says: “I see blood, I see a lot of blood”. A few months later the civil war
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
broke out in Lebanon.
After the publication of two more novels, كوابيس بيروت “Beirut Nightmares" in 1977, which describes life in civil-war-torn Beirut in the mid-Seventies, and ليلة المليار “The Eve of Billion” in 1986, she was referred to as the most prominent modern Arab writer by some critics.
Life
In the late 1960s Ghada married Dr. Bashir Al Daouq, the owner of Dar Al Tali’a publishing house and had her only son, Hazim, which she named after one of her heroes in “Foreigner’s Night”. She later made her own publishing house and re-published most of her books, she also gathered all her articles in a series she called الأعمال غير الكاملة “The Unfinished Works”, up to date she has published fifteen books of it, nine of them are poetry collections. She has stored her unpublished works including many letters in a Swiss bank, which she promises to publish “when the time is right”.It is believed that some of her letters many reveal some information about some prominent Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
writers and poets during the 1960s, of the people her name was linked with are: Nasir eDdin Al Nashashibi, the journalist and Kamal Nasir, the late poet.
In 1993 she caused a scene in the literary and political arenas when she published a collection of love letters written to her by Ghassan Kanafani
Ghassan Kanafani
Ghassan Kanafani was a Palestinian writer and a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was assassinated by car bomb in Beirut, allegedly by the Mossad.- Early years :Ghassan Fayiz Kanafani was born in 1936 in the then Acre , British Mandate of Palestine...
in the sixties when she had a love affair with him, which was no secret at the time. She was condemned for publishing them by some claiming that her intention was to smear the late writer’s reputation and/or to negatively affect the Palestinian Case
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
She has also written a few criticism books and translated some of her works to several worldwide languages. Ghada has been living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
since the mid 1980s and regularly writes in an Arabic magazine published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She refuses any invitations for TV interviews since she had a bad experience when she was interviewed in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and found out that the interviewer had not read any of her works.
Works
Some of her works include:- عيناك قدري, “Your Eyes are my Destiny”, short stories, 1962.
- لا بحر في بيروت, “No Sea in Beirut”, short stories, 1965.
- ليل الغرباء, “Foreigners’’ Nights”, short stories, 1966.
- حب, “Love”, poetry, 1973.
- رحيل المرافئ القديمة “The Departure of Old Ports”, short stories, 1973.
- بيروت 75 “Beirut 75”, novel, 1974.
- أعلنت عليك الحب, “I Declare Love Upon You”, poetry, 1976.
- كوابيس بيروت “Beirut Nightmares”, novel, 1977.
- ليلة المليار “The Eve of Billion”, novel, 1986.
- الرواية المستحيلة: فسيفسا ءدمشقية”The Impossible Novel: Damascene Mosaic”, autobiography, 1997.
- سهرة تنكرية للموتى, “A Costume Party for the Dead”, 2003.
Source
- Translated from the Arabic Wikipedia.