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Abdo Wazen

アブド・ワーゼン

Abdo Wazen

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
null （Lebanon）
Nationality
Lebanese
Languages
Arabic

Career

Occupations
poet, literary critic, editor, novelist
Active Years
1982-
Affiliations
Al-Hayat (culture section)
Influenced By
Mahmoud Darwish, Amin Maalouf

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Closed Wood

1982 Poetry

Early collection of poems using introspective and symbolic imagery to explore the relationship between the individual and society.

selfmemorysymbolism

The Eye and the Air

1985 Poetry

A poetry collection focused on vision and sensation, emphasizing sound and rhythm of language.

sensationexpressionlandscape

Another Reason for the Night

1986 Poetry

Poems themed on night and solitude, using metaphors to depict inner worlds.

solitudenightintrospection

Garden of the Senses

1993 Poetry

Poetic pieces around the senses and the body, notable for sensual imagery and entwined memories.

sensualitymemorythe body

Doors of Sleep

1996 Poetry

A collection exploring the boundary between dream and reality, with symbolic and fragmentary structure.

dreamboundariesmemory

Lantern of Temptation

2000 Poetry

Poems addressing themes of ethics, desire, and choice.

desireethicschoice

Fire of Return

2003 Poetry

Poems on return, loss, and renewal.

returnlossrenewal

A Broken Life

2007 Poetry

A collection weaving personal and social history fragments, portraying pain and recovery.

losspersonal historyrecovery

The Days Are Not for Bidding Them Farewell

2014 Poetry

A recent poetry collection on time, separation, and the extraordinary within the everyday.

timeseparationeveryday life

Open Heart

2009 Novel

A novel depicting a protagonist's inner life and relationships, including philosophical and psychological elements.

relationshipsinteriorityconflict

The Young Man who Saw the Colour of the Air

2011 Novel

A coming-of-age story about perception and sensation, containing allegorical elements.

coming of ageperceptionvision

Mahmoud Darwish: the Stranger Falls Upon Himself

2006 Criticism

A critical study of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, analyzing his works and poetic persona.

poeticsMiddle Eastern literaturememory

An Introduction to Novels of the Lebanese War

2010 Criticism

An overview and critical examination of novels about the Lebanese civil war, organizing major authors and themes.

war literaturememoryhistory

Amin Maalouf, Breaking Boundaries

2012 Criticism

A critical work on Amin Maalouf, discussing transgression and identity in his writings.

transgressionidentitycomparative literature

Beyrouth 4 August 2020 at 18 o'clock

2020 Poetry

A poem/fragment likely responding to the Beirut explosion of 4 August 2020.

disastercitymemory

Bibliography

  • The Closed Wood (1982)
  • The Eye and the Air (1985)
  • Another Reason for the Night (1986)
  • Garden of the Senses (1993)
  • Doors of Sleep (1996)
  • Lantern of Temptation (2000)
  • Fire of Return (2003)
  • Mahmoud Darwish: the Stranger Falls Upon Himself (2006)
  • A Broken Life (2007)
  • Open Heart (2009)
  • An Introduction to Novels of the Lebanese War (2010)
  • The Young Man who Saw the Colour of the Air (2011)
  • Amin Maalouf, Breaking Boundaries (2012)
  • The Days Are Not for Bidding Them Farewell (2014)
  • Beyrouth 4 August 2020 at 18 o'clock (2020)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical and symbolic expressionpoetic emphasis on sound and rhythmcritical work focusing on history and memory
Recurring Motifs
memorywar and traumahome and returninteriority

Legacy

An important figure in contemporary Lebanese poetry and literary criticism. Contributed to the understanding of Middle Eastern literature through both poetry and criticism and exerted influence as a newspaper culture-section editor.

Trivia

  • Born in 1957 (exact birthdate not publicly available).
  • Author of more than a dozen books including poetry, novels and criticism.
  • Has served as chief editor of the culture section of the newspaper Al-Hayat.