International Award for Arabic Children's Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2018) Winner
Walid Daqqa
ワリード・ダッカ
Walid Nimer As'aad Daqqa
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1961-07-18 （Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Israel）
- Died
- 2024-04-07 （Shamir Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel） age 62
- Nationality
- Palestinian citizen of Israel
- Languages
- Arabic
- Residence History
- Baqa al-Gharbiyye (birthplace) → Tel Aviv area (worked/lived) → Eilat (worked briefly) → Various prisons in Israel (incarceration)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Political science student/researcher, Former house painter, Political activist, Long-term political prisoner
- Active Years
- 1983-2024
- Affiliations
- Balad (political party)
- Memberships
- Balad Central Committee (former)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | Political Science | 学士（政治学） | 在監学習（詳細不明） | — |
| — | — | Political Science | 修士（政治学） | 在監学習（詳細不明） | — |
—
Political Science
Degree:
学士（政治学）
Period:
在監学習（詳細不明）
Year of Graduation:
2010
Earned while incarcerated
—
Political Science
Degree:
修士（政治学）
Period:
在監学習（詳細不明）
Year of Graduation:
2016
Earned while incarcerated. Reported to be working on a doctorate but not completed
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Tale of the Secrets of Oil
2018 Children's fiction (allegorical)A children's novel about a 12-year-old boy named Jude conceived with his imprisoned father's sperm. After his prison visit is canceled, he meets talking animals and a 1,500-year-old olive tree named Um Rumi. The tree gives him a secret oil that makes him invisible, allowing him to visit his father. The story allegorically addresses children of prisoners, life under occupation and the longing for freedom.
Children of prisonersOlive tree and homelandLoss of childhoodLonging for freedom
Fusion of Consciousness
Political/philosophical essaysA collection of political and philosophical essays reflecting on imprisonment, politics and personal experience.
Political thoughtPrison experienceHuman consciousness
A Parallel Time
Drama / psychologicalA long-form work addressing the psychological state of prisoners. Material from a long letter was adapted into a play staged at Al-Midan Theater.
Prisoners' psychologyMemory and timeResistance and humanity
Adaptations
- [Play] Stage adaptation of A Parallel Time
Bibliography
- The Tale of the Secrets of Oil (2018)
- Fusion of Consciousness
- A Parallel Time
Adaptations
- Play based on A Parallel Time (Al-Midan Theater, Haifa)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Prison literatureAllegorical children's storytellingPolitical and philosophical essays
- Recurring Motifs
- Prison vs. freedomOlive tree and oilChildren and lost childhoodMemory and time
Health
-
Myelofibrosis (bone marrow cancer)2021–2024Sharp weight loss and fragility. Reports indicated inadequate medical care; human rights organizations alleged medical negligence and torture-like treatment.
Legacy
Walid Daqqa was a prominent long-term Palestinian prisoner and writer who gained attention for writing and earning academic degrees while incarcerated. His works portrayed occupation and resistance from the perspective of prisoners and children. After his death he became the focus of controversy over medical treatment, human rights critiques, and political disputes over the release of his body.
Museums
- Mahmoud Darwish Museum (book launch venue) Ramallah (West Bank)
In Popular Culture
- Tribute at University of Edinburgh encampment (2024)
Quotes
-
"Until I am freed from prison, with the hope of freeing the prison from me."
Source: Prelude to The Tale of the Secrets of Oil (author's preface) (2018) -
"Even on his deathbed, Israeli authorities continued to display chilling levels of cruelty against Walid Daqqah and his family, not only denying him adequate medical treatment and suitable food, but also preventing him from saying a final goodbye to his wife and daughter."
Source: Amnesty International statement (Erika Guevara Rosas) (2024)
Trivia
- Arrested in 1986 and spent about 38 years in prison.
- Received additional sentence in 2018 for smuggling mobile phones.
- Published the children's novel The Tale of the Secrets of Oil in 2018.
- Married in prison in 1999; had a daughter in 2020 conceived using sperm smuggled out of prison.
- After his death his body was retained by Israeli authorities, prompting international debate.