Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Suhail Kiwan is a Palestinian journalist and novelist. He was born in the village of Majd al-Krum in the Western Galilee in 1956. He is the father of (4) children. He studied elementary school in his village and high school in the agricultural Rama. He studied philosophy for a year in East Berlin. He worked in all kinds of illegal jobs, freelance work and trade, then worked as a literary editor in the newspaper Kul al-Arab published in Nazareth from 1998 until 2014. He began writing in the magazine Al-Jadeed published in Haifa , and in the newspaper Al-Ittihad in Haifa and Al-Ghad magazine since 1983.
He writes political, literary and social newspaper articles. He has been writing for years for the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper and for the Arab 48 website in Haifa. He has written hundreds of short stories and articles in local and Arab press. He has published three novels, five collections of short stories, ten stories for children, two studies and a number of plays. He works with libraries, the Arabic Language Academy and the Cultural Basket in meetings with students, as part of the Meeting with a Writer programs. He won the Tawfiq Zayyad Foundation Award for National Culture in 2002 for a critical study of Ghassan Kanafani's literature , entitled Sad Beauty, Glowing Giving.
His literature has been and still is the subject of study and criticism by many Palestinian and Arab critics and creators, and many male and female students of Arabic literature at various educational levels have presented studies on his literature under the guidance of senior professors of Arabic literature in the country.
From his writings
His first collection of short stories was published by Dar Al-Aswar Al-Akkaya, entitled “The Duel”, in 1990.
He published The Sorrows of the Palm Trees, stories, 1993.
Tear Sticks (novel), 1997, Al-Aswar Foundation, Acre.
The Killing of the Last Rebel, 1998, The Walls Novel, Acre.
Missing No. 2000, novel, 2000, Al-Aswar, Acre. Used in a feature film by director Ali Nassar entitled “Embers of the Story”)
Homer of the Desert, Studies in the Poetry of Samih al-Qasim , in partnership with other authors, 2000.
Ghassan Kanafani’s study : Sad Beauty, Glowing Giving, 2003, published by the Palestinian National Guidance Institute.
The Unlucky Country, 2018 Novel, Kul Shi Library, Haifa.
Plays by writer Suhail Kiwan
The Earth Keeps Spinning, Like the Message Theater in Majd al-Krum, not published in a book, 1982.
Six by Six, a satirical play that won an award of appreciation from Al-Midan Theater in Haifa.
Fatiha Al-Aafar's Papers, a theatrical story in colloquial Arabic, published in serials in the newspaper Kul Al-Arab in 2004.
With all due respect, Beit Al-Karmeh, directed by Nabil Azar.
Kingdom of Mirrors: A Play for Boys, 2008, first edition, followed by several editions, illustrations by Anna Forlati, Al-Aswar-Acre. The play was performed at Beit Al-Karma Theater.
His writings for children
The Gluttonous Monkey, first edition 1995, followed by several editions, illustrations by Irina Karkabi, Children's Literature Center, Haifa. The idea for the story "The Gluttonous Monkey" came from the phenomenon of gluttony among some people, especially children who do not know how to maintain a healthy diet and how to maintain their physical fitness. The writer saw that the most appropriate way to explain the idea to children is to speak on the tongues of animals.
The Good Birds, 1998, illustrations by Juhaina Habibi Qandalaft, published by the Children’s Literature Center, Haifa.
Kharboucha and Her Children, 2005, illustrations by Elizabeth Mahameed, Children’s Literature Center, Nazareth.
Milk and Chocolate Wedding, 2012, illustrations by Vita Tenel, Dar Al-Huda, Dr. Zahalka.
Much more precious than gold, 2013, illustrations by Nour Abu Khadra Rashid, The Center for Books and Libraries in Israel, Arabic Children’s Literature.
Sweets Box, illustrations by Manar Nairat, 2015, Aswar-Acre.
Elections in our village, 2016, Aswar-Acre.
Kingdom of Mirrors: A Play for Boys, 2008, first edition, followed by several editions, illustrations by Anna Forlati, Al-Aswar-Acre. The play was performed at Beit Al-Karma Theater.
Short story collections
He has published five short story collections:
The Duel, 1991, The Walls - Acre.
Palm Sorrows, 1993, Thursday.
Under the Surface of Ink, 2005, Dar Al Majed, Ramallah.
In Praise of Another Stake, 2013, Raya Publishing House, Haifa.
The Death of Hatem Tay, 2018, Kul Shi Library, Haifa .
Achievements and Awards
Awards
He won the Tawfiq Zayyad Foundation Award for Culture and Creativity in 2001 for a critical study of Ghassan Kanafani’s literature entitled “Sad Beauty, Glowing Giving.”
He received an award of appreciation from Al-Midan Theater in Haifa for the play “Six by Six.”
He received an international award from Sweden in the name of “Anna Lindh” for children’s literature for the play “Kingdom of Mirrors,” which was directed by Qassim Shaaban and was shown in more than one hundred shows in the country’s schools. It was published by Al-Aswar Children’s House - Acre
Source
- Years in active
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