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Isabella Hammad

イザベラ・ハマッド

Isabella Hammad

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1990/1991 （Hammersmith, London, England）
Nationality
British, Palestinian (heritage)
Languages
English
Residence History
Acton, London → Hammersmith, London → New York City (residence/study)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist
Active Years
2019-
Affiliations
MacDowell (artists' residency), Lannan Foundation, New York Public Library - Cullman Center, New York University (Axinn Foundation Fellowship)

Education

University of Oxford
English (Literature) / English Department
Country: United Kingdom
Studied English at undergraduate level
Harvard University (fellowship)
Country: United States
Undertook a literature fellowship
New York University
MFA (Creative Writing) / Creative Writing
Degree: MFA (Creative Writing)
Country: United States
Completed a creative writing MFA (year not specified)

Awards

Plimpton Prize (for Fiction)
2018
Work: "Mr. Can'aan" (short story)
Organization: The Paris Review / Plimpton Prize
Result: Won
O. Henry Prize (Short Story)
2019
Work: Short story (specific title not listed)
Organization: O. Henry Award
Result: Won
National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35
2019
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: Honoree
Betty Trask Award
2020
Work: The Parisian
Organization: Betty Trask Awards
Result: Won
Palestine Book Award
Work: The Parisian
Organization: Palestine Book Awards
Result: Won
Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction
2020
Work: The Parisian
Organization: American Academy of Arts & Letters
Result: Won
Shortlisted: Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction
2020
Work: The Parisian
Category: Historical fiction
Organization: Walter Scott Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Chautauqua Prize (Shortlisted)
2020
Work: The Parisian
Organization: Chautauqua Institution
Result: Shortlisted
Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship
2020
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: Fellowship
Aspen Words Literary Prize
2024
Work: Enter Ghost
Organization: Aspen Words
Result: Won
Royal Society of Literature Encore Award
2024
Work: Enter Ghost
Organization: Royal Society of Literature
Result: Won
Cullman Center Fellowship
2024
Organization: New York Public Library - Cullman Center
Result: Fellowship (elected 2024–25)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Parisian

2019 Historical fiction / Family saga

A multi-generational novel set in the early 20th century following a family's history across Palestine and Europe, exploring colonialism, belonging, and memory.

IdentityColonialismFamily historyMemory

Enter Ghost

2023 Contemporary fiction / Drama

Set in Palestine, the novel interrogates questions of identity and belonging among a younger generation, drawing on Hamlet-like motifs and exploring political and personal conflict.

BelongingPolitics and the personalLossLegacy

Recognizing the Stranger: On Palestine and Narrative

2024 Essay / Non-fiction

An essayistic work on the narratives surrounding Palestine, discussing history, memory, and the recognition of the other.

NarrativeRecognition of the otherHistorical consciousness

Bibliography

  • The Parisian (2019)
  • Enter Ghost (2023)
  • Recognizing the Stranger: On Palestine and Narrative (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Polyphonic, layered narrativeRich historical and regional detailPoetic and lyrical prose
Recurring Motifs
Identity and belongingRemembrance and family historyEffects of colonialismOtherness (the stranger)

Legacy

Isabella Hammad is recognized for writing that intersects history and the individual against a British-Palestinian background. Her debut The Parisian brought international attention and multiple awards and nominations; she was named to Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2023. Through essays and lectures she continues to influence conversations about Palestine.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature

Archives

  • Potential archival associations with the New York Public Library - Cullman Center

Quotes

  • "I heard Edward Said speak when I was seven"
    Source: The Guardian (interview) (2024)

Trivia

  • Born in London to a Palestinian father (family from Nablus) and a British-Irish mother.
  • Debuted with The Parisian in 2019 and was named to the National Book Foundation's '5 Under 35' the same year.
  • Included in Granta's Best of Young British Novelists list in 2023.
  • Won the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award and the Aspen Words Literary Prize in 2024.