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Edition 17 (1995) Winner
Salma al-Haffar Kuzbari
サルマ・アル＝ハッファール・アル＝クズバリ
Salma al-Haffar al-Kuzbari
Aliases:
سلمى الحفار الكزبري
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1923-05-01 （Damascus, Syria）
- Died
- 2006-08-11 （Beirut, Lebanon） age 83
- Nationality
- Syria
- Languages
- Arabic, French, English, Spanish
- Religion
- Islam
- Residence History
- Damascus, Syria → Spain → Argentina → Chile → Lebanon
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Translator, Literary critic, Biographer, Poet, Women's rights activist
- Active Years
- 1940-2006
- Influenced By
- May Ziadeh (subject of research), Nizar Qabbani (friend and correspondent)
- Influenced
- Contemporary Syrian women writers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Franciscan school (Damascus) | — | Languages (Arabic, English, French) | — | — | Syria |
| Saint Joseph University of Beirut (correspondence) | Political Science | Political Science | — | — | Lebanon |
Private Franciscan school (Damascus)
Languages (Arabic, English, French)
Country:
Syria
Attended at a time when girls' education was uncommon
Saint Joseph University of Beirut (correspondence)
Political Science
/ Political Science
Country:
Lebanon
Studied political science by correspondence but did not complete a degree
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Medal from the Spanish government | — | — | Spanish government | 受賞 |
| 1980 | University of Palermo Mediterranean Literature Award | — | — | University of Palermo | 受賞 |
| 1995 | King Faisal Prize for Arabic Language and Literature | Work on May Ziadeh and Arabic literature | 文学 | King Faisal Foundation | 受賞 |
Medal from the Spanish government
1964
Organization:
Spanish government
Result:
受賞
University of Palermo Mediterranean Literature Award
1980
Organization:
University of Palermo
Result:
受賞
King Faisal Prize for Arabic Language and Literature
1995
Work:
Work on May Ziadeh and Arabic literature
Category:
文学
Organization:
King Faisal Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Two Eyes of Seville
1965 NovelSet against Andalusian Spain, the novel explores women's inner lives, memory and exile, reflecting the author's long experience living in Spain.
memorynostalgiawomen's inner lifeAndalusia
May Ziadeh and the Tragedy of Genius
1961 Nonfiction (biography/literary criticism)A major study of the Lebanese-Palestinian writer May Ziadeh, based on 17 years of research; regarded as an important biographical work on a pioneering woman writer.
biographyfeminismepistolary research
Blue Flame: The Love Letters of Kahlil Gibran to May Ziadeh
1979 Nonfiction (documentary compilation)A compilation and commentary on Kahlil Gibran's love letters to May Ziadeh; widely translated and noted for its documentary value.
letterslove and intellectdocumentary scholarship
Lutfi al-Haffar: 1885–1968
1995 BiographyA biography of her father, Lutfi al-Haffar, combining political history and family memoir.
biographypolitical historyfamily history
Bibliography
- Hala's Diaries (1950)
- Deprivation (story collection, 1952)
- Corners (story collection, 1955)
- The Two Eyes of Seville (novel, 1965)
- Bitter Oranges (novel, 1974)
- Blue Flame (1979)
- Lutfi al-Haffar: 1885–1968 (1995)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, descriptive prose focusing on women's inner livesMemoiristic approach combined with documentary and critical scholarship
- Recurring Motifs
- memory and nostalgiaAndalusia and the Iberian worldletters and biographywomen's self-exploration
Legacy
Salma al-Haffar Kuzbari was a pioneering Syrian writer who foregrounded women's inner lives; her scholarship on May Ziadeh and Andalucia earned international recognition, leaving an important legacy in Arab women's history and literary studies.
Archives
- Brown University Library (Salmá al-Ḥaffār Kuzbarī papers)
- Rhode Island archival collections (Salmá al-Ḥaffār Kuzbarī papers)
In Popular Culture
- Frequently cited in studies of Syrians' rhetorical representation of Al-Andalus in academic and popular culture
Trivia
- First published in the Damascus magazine Al Ahad in 1940.
- Co-founded the children's charity Mabarat al Taleem wa al-Muwasaat in 1945.
- Her father, Lutfi al-Haffar, briefly served as Prime Minister of Syria in 1939.
- She wrote poetry in French and published a Spanish-language poetry collection in 1994.
- Received the King Faisal Prize for Arabic Language and Literature in 1995.