Arab American Book Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 7 (2013) Winner
-
Edition 12 (2018) Winner
Hala Alyan
ハラ・アリャン
Hala Alyan
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1986-07-27 （Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.）
- Nationality
- Palestinian-American, United States
- Languages
- English, Arabic
- Residence History
- Kuwait (childhood) → United States (raised) → Brooklyn, New York (resident)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Novelist, Clinical psychologist, Essayist
- Active Years
- 2005-
- Affiliations
- New York University (Steinhardt) — Clinical Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology, American Library in Paris (visiting fellow, Fall 2018)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University of Beirut | — | — | — | — | Lebanon |
| Columbia University | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Rutgers University | — | Clinical Psychology | PhD in Clinical Psychology | — | United States |
American University of Beirut
Country:
Lebanon
Reported undergraduate studies; graduation year not specified
Columbia University
Country:
United States
Attended Columbia; specific degree and year not specified
Rutgers University
Clinical Psychology
Degree:
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Country:
United States
Holds a doctorate in clinical psychology (year not specified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Arab American Book Award | Atrium | — | Arab American National Museum | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Fiction) | Salt Houses | Fiction | Dayton Literary Peace Prize | 受賞 |
Arab American Book Award
2013
Work:
Atrium
Organization:
Arab American National Museum
Result:
受賞
Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Fiction)
2018
Work:
Salt Houses
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Dayton Literary Peace Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 13 (2018) Winner
Works
Major Works
Salt Houses
2017 Novel (family saga)Follows the Yacoub family across generations as they are displaced after the 1967 war and rebuild lives in Kuwait, Beirut, Paris, Boston and beyond.
DisplacementMemoryFamilyIntergenerational trauma
The Arsonists' City
2021 Novel (family and political drama) 464 pagesThe Nasr family reunites in Beirut after the patriarch's death; secrets and the legacy of violence and war unravel across the family's generations.
MemoryFamilyImpact of violenceLebanon
I'll Tell You When I'm Home
2025 Memoir / EssayA memoir reflecting on motherhood, war, exile, and identity — a personal account of family, home, and belonging.
MotherhoodExileIdentity
Atrium
2005 PoetryAn early poetry collection exploring identity, movement, and personal memory.
MovementMemoryIdentity
Bibliography
- Salt Houses (2017)
- The Arsonists' City (2021)
- I'll Tell You When I'm Home (Memoir, 2025)
- Atrium (Poetry, 2005)
- Four Cities (Poetry, 2015)
- Hijra (Poetry, 2016)
- The Twenty-Ninth Year (Poetry, 2019)
- The Moon That Turns You Back (Poetry, 2024)
- Editor (with Zeina Hashem Beck): We Call to the Eye & the Night (2023)
Adaptations
- Short film 'I Say Dust' (actor)
- Short film 'Tallahassee' (actor)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, evocative proseInterweaving family history and personal memoryGrounded depictions that incorporate political and historical context
- Recurring Motifs
- Displacement and exileFamily bonds and ruptureMemory and legacyMotherhood and intergenerational transmission
Legacy
Hala Alyan has been recognized for portraying the Palestinian diaspora through both poetry and fiction. Her intergenerational family narratives have reached international audiences and earned multiple awards.
Trivia
- Has acted in short films 'I Say Dust' and 'Tallahassee'.
- Trained clinical psychologist and teaches at New York University.
- Writes across genres: poetry, novels, memoir, and essays.