(1970-08-18) 18 August 1970 (age 53) Jableh,
Syria
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.
Biography
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 PrizeInternational 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]
Works
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")