Ibrahim Nasrallah

Who is Ibrahim Nasrallah?

Ibrahim Nasrallah was born in Amman, Jordan, in 1954 to a family of Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Nakba, and he grew up in a refugee camp before going on to become one of the most prominent contemporary voices in Arabic literature. He worked for many years as a teacher, journalist, and photographer across the Arab Gulf region before establishing himself as a full-time writer, producing an extensive body of poetry and fiction. His best-known project is the multi-volume epic novel series known as "The Palestinian Comedy" (Al-Malhamah al-Filastiniyyah), which traces Palestinian history and displacement across generations through interconnected narratives. His novel "The Second War of the Dog" won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, often referred to as the "Arabic Booker," in 2018, bringing him wide international recognition. His works have been translated into numerous languages including English, French, and Italian, and he has received multiple regional literary honors over a career spanning more than four decades. He continues to write and publish from Amman, and is regarded as a leading literary figure representing both Jordanian letters and the broader Palestinian diaspora experience.

Sources: International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), 2018 winner announcement and biography · Banipal Magazine, author profile on Ibrahim Nasrallah · Hoopoe Fiction / American University in Cairo Press, publisher biography