Samar Yazbek | |
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Born | Jableh, Syria | 18 August 1970
Occupation | Writer |
Literary movement | Women Now for Development |
Notable awards | 2016 Best Foreign Book award for “The crossing” (France)
2013 PEN-OXFAM Novib award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (The Netherlands) 2012 PEN Tucholsky award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (Sweden) 2012 PEN Pinter award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (UK) 2010 Selected in the “Beirut 39, Hay festival” selection of outstanding writers under 40 (Beirut) 2000 UNICEF, Best literary scenario award to “A falling sky” (TV script) |
Samar Yazbek (Arabic: سمر يزبك, born 1970 in Jableh, Syria) is a Syrian writer and journalist. She studied Arabic literature at Tishreen University (Latakia). She has written in a wide variety of genres including novels, short stories, film scripts, television dramas, film and TV criticism, and literary narratives. Several of her works have been translated from the Arabic original into other languages.
In 2010, Yazbek was selected as one of the 39 most promising authors[1] under the age of 40, by Beirut39, a contest organized by the Hay Festival. In 2011, she took part in the popular uprising against the Assad regime, and was forced into exile a few months later. In 2012, she was chosen for the prestigious PEN/Pinter Prize International writer of courage award,[2][3] in recognition of her book A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution. She was also awarded the Swedish Tucholsky Prize[4] and the Dutch Oxfam/PEN prize[5] in the same year. In 2016, Yazbek's literary narrative The Crossing was awarded the French “Best Foreign Book” prize.[6]
Yazbek also participated in the Syrian cultural caravan, which was an artistic and cultural movement led by Syrian artists that started with a project called "Freedom for the Syrian People" and involved a road trip across Europe.[7]
Yazbek has been a prominent voice in support of human rights and more specifically women's rights in Syria. In 2012, she launched Women Now for Development,[8] an NGO based in France that aims at empowering Syrian women economically and socially.[9]
Year | Publications | Genre | Countries |
2018 | 19 women: Tales of resilience from Syria | Literary narrative | France – Sweden - Italy |
2017 | Al-Mashāʾa [The one who walks (female)] | Novel | Translated to Danish ("Du må ikke dø")-Swedish ("Hon som vandrar") |
The blue pen | Novel | France-Sweden-Norway-Germany-Lebanon | |
2015 | The Crossing[10] | Literary narrative | France-Sweden-Norway –Uk-Lebanon-Spain- Portugal-Poland-Malaysia-Greece-Romania-India-China-Italy-Japan |
2012 | A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution | Literary narrative | France-UK-Netherlands-Switzerland- Turkey |
2010 | In her mirrors | Novel | Italy-Lebanon |
2008 | The mountain of lilies | Novel | Syria |
2008 | Cinnamon | Novel | France-Sweden-Norway-Italy-UK- Switzerland-Lebanon |
2005 | Clay | Novel | Egypt |
2002 | A girl from heaven | Novel | Syria |
2000 | Words of women | Short stories | Syria-Lebanon |
1999 | Automn flowers | Short stories | Syria |