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Edition 11 (2017) Winner
Abbas Beydoun
アッバース・ベイドゥーン
Abbas Beydoun
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1945-01-01 (Sur (Sour), near Tyre, southern Lebanon)
- Nationality
- Lebanese
- Languages
- Arabic, French, English
- Residence History
- Sur (birthplace) → Beirut (residence/studies) → Paris (study)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, journalist, editor
- Active Years
- 1968-
- Affiliations
- As-Safir (cultural editor)
- Influenced By
- Pierre Jean Jouve, Yannis Ritsos
- Nominations
- International Prize for Arabic Fiction (Arabic Booker) - 'Boxes of Desire' longlisted
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanese University | — | — | — | — | Lebanon |
| Sorbonne (University of Paris) | — | — | — | — | France |
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sheikh Zayed Book Award (Literature) | Khareef al Bara'a (The Autumn of Innocence) | Literature | Sheikh Zayed Book Award | winner |
| 2008 | Arkansas Arabic Translation Award | Tahlil damm (English translation: Blood Test; translator Max Weiss) | — | Arkansas Arabic Translation Award | winner (translation awarded to translator Max Weiss) |
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Hujurat
poetryA collection of poems focusing on absence and loss, intertwining personal memory with political experience.
Li Mareedin Huwa al-Amal
poetryContains poems that explore hope and resistance.
Ashiqa'a Nadamuna
poetryPoetic pieces revolving around love and regret.
Tahlil damm (Blood Test)
2002 novelA novel that intertwines personal lives and history. The English translation by Max Weiss drew international attention.
- English translation: Max Weiss (titled 'Blood Test', 2008)
Boxes of Desire
2021 novelA recent novel exploring desire, memory and social contexts. Longlisted for the 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
Khareef al Bara'a (The Autumn of Innocence)
poetryA poetry collection themed on innocence and loss; awarded the 2017 Sheikh Zayed Book Award (Literature).
Bibliography
- Hujurat (poetry)
- Li Mareedin Huwa al-Amal (poetry)
- Ashiqa'a Nadamuna (poetry)
- Tahlil damm (novel, 2002)
- Khareef al Bara'a (poetry)
- Boxes of Desire (novel, 2021)
Translations of Works
- Tahlil damm translated into English by Max Weiss ('Blood Test')
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, symbol-rich modern Arabic poetrypoetic voice that incorporates political and social contexts
- Recurring Motifs
- absence/lossmemory and losslove and desirepolitical experience
Legacy
One of Lebanon's leading contemporary poets; his work has been widely translated and critically acclaimed. Known for connecting literature and politics, his poetry and fiction depict memory and absence across the Arab world.
Trivia
- Was imprisoned in 1968 and 1982 in connection with political activities.
- Has served as cultural editor of the Beirut newspaper As-Safir since 1997.
- In 2008 the English translation of his novel Tahlil damm (translator Max Weiss) won the Arkansas Arabic Translation Award (award to the translator).
- Won the 2017 Sheikh Zayed Book Award (Literature) for Khareef al Bara'a.
- Boxes of Desire was longlisted for the 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.