Mamdouh Adwan

Mamdouh Adwan was a prolific Syrian writer, poet, playwright and critic. He published his first collection of poetry, al-Dhul al-Akhdhar [The Green Shadow] in 1967 and afterwards published 18 further collections. He also published two novels, twenty-five plays, translated twenty-three books from English into Arabic, including the Iliad, the Odyssey, a biography of George Orwell, the Report to Greco by Nikos Kazantzakis, and wrote a number of television series. He wrote regularly on Arab current affairs, and also taught at the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts in Damascus. Only few of his works have been published in English, notably in Banipal magazine. He was born in the village of Qayrun near Masyaf, Hama Governorate, the first child of Sabri Adwan. After finishing his schooling in Masyaf, he moved to Damascus to study English literature at Damascus University. He was married and has two sons. He died of a heart attack in Damascus in 2004. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative Syrian writers of his generation.