Poet, novelist, essayist and translator. Born in Iraq, near Babylon. Since 1976 lives in Poland. BA in Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Baghdad, MA in Polish Language and Literature from the University of Warsaw and PhD in Drama Studies from the Warsaw University, where he now lectures on Arabic Language and Literature. 1985-1988 lecturer of Arabic Literature and Drama in the University of Tizi-Ouzu in Algeria, 1993-1994 visiting scholar at the Indiana University. Author of books of poetry, criticism and translation. Numerous poetry prizes, e.g.: The Polish ZAiKS Prize for Translation, (Warsaw 2003), Witold Hulewicz Award for all works, (Warsaw 2003), International Day of Poetry and the magazine “Poezja Dzisiaj” Award for all works, (Warsaw 2005). His poems were published in many languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Czech, Kurdish, Slovak, Spanish, Persian, Polish, and Russian. His poems have appeared in many Arab, English and Polish magazines and anthologies, such as The Space Between Our Footsteps - poems and paintings from the Middle East, Simon & Schuster Books, Literatures of Asia, Africa and Latin America, Prentice Hall with Simon & Schuster Books and Pisarze Świata (The Writers of the World), Encyclopedia PWN. Author of Arabic Theatre: origins, history and quest, Dialog (Poland). Main translator of the Polish literature into Arabic (translated more than 40 polish authors, among others Słowacki, Mickiewicz, Miłosz, Herbert, Szymborska, Różewicz, Grochowiak, Zagajewski, Stachura, Wojaczek, Kapuściński, Kołakowski) and Arabic literature in Polish. Member of Polish P.E.N. Centre Board (till November 2003), The Union of Polish Writers, the Polish Oriental Association and the Middle East Studies Association of North America.
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