Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Khalil Al-Sawahri (1940-2006), is a Palestinian writer of Jordanian origin, born in 1940 in the village of (Sawahrah) located southeast of the city of Jerusalem. He studied the first three educational stages, elementary and preparatory at Al-Sawahrah School, then Abu Dis School, and the secondary school at Al-Rashidiyah School in his hometown. Jerusalem, then at the Institute of Teachers in Al-Aroub, where he obtained a diploma in 1960. He continued his higher education and obtained a first university degree from the University of Damascus, holding a bachelor’s degree in philosophical and social studies in 1965, and a second master’s degree in philosophy from the Jesuit University in Beirut in 1994.
his career
Khalil Al-Sawahry, a writer’s literary journey that spanned nearly half a century. A trade unionist, professional, writer, critic, publisher, and writer, one of the symbols of the real-life story in Jordan and Palestine, since the early sixties, Al-Sawahry’s work centered on the Palestinian cause and its joints, starting with the Nakba and ending with the struggles of return. After Oslo, some of his creative works were translated into English and Czech. The Jordanian Writers Association honored him at the Hussein Cultural Center in 2004 for his literary gift.
His writings
stories
(1972), Three Voices: A joint collection of short stories with Fakhri Kawar and Bader Abdel-Haq, Amman
(1975), Al-Bashoura Cafe: Ministry of Culture and National Guidance, Damascus.
(1982), The Earth and the Phoenix: The Jordanian Writers Association, Jordan
(1983), A Children's RPG: Abu Arafa Agency for Press and Publication
(1983), Conversations of the Invaders: Testimonies from the Third Palestinian-Israeli War: The General Union of Palestinian Writers and Journalists
(1985), The Evening Visitor: Dar Al-Carmel, Amman
(1996), The Transformations and Sufferings of Salman Al-Tayeh: The Jordanian Ministry of Culture, Amman
(2002), Late Night Rain: Dar Al-Carmel, Amman
(1994), Sadness Has Memory and Jasmine: Dar Al-Carmel, Amman
studies
(1979), The Time of Occupation: Readings in the Literature of the Occupied Land, Critical Studies, Arab Writers Union, Damascus
(1982), Selections of Palestinian Poetry in the Occupied Territories: A Critical Study, Department of Information and Culture, Beirut
(1985), The Eighty Days' War in the Israeli Side: A Critical Study, Dar Al-Carmel, Amman
(1986), The Palestinians: Forced Displacement and Social Welfare, Dar Al-Carmel, Amman
(2004), Racist Attitudes in Israeli Education Curricula, Arab Writers Union, Syria
his articles
Stranger in the City of Magi, Arts Magazine, August 1963
The Pavilion of the Phoenix - A Play from Chinese Literature, Journal of Literature, May 1964
Chapters from the Transformations of the Deserted City, Al-Aqlam Magazine, April 1975
Rising from the Forsaken City Transformations, Al-Maarefa Magazine, September 1975
The Terrifying Awakening, Al-Aqlam Magazine, April 1977
The short story in the occupied territories after June 1967, Al-Aqlam magazine, November 1979
The First Beginnings of the Coming Theater in the Occupied Territories, Al-Aqlam Magazine, June 1980
Testimony from Prison to Exile, Al-Aqlam Magazine, July 1981
The Jordan Message: Prota Project for Translating Arabic Literature in Dialogue with Dr. Salma Jayyousi, Al-Aqlam Magazine, January 1983
The image of women in the short story in the Emirates: Journal of Arts, September 1989
The Impact of the Intifada on Palestinian Culture, Al-Bayan Magazine - Kuwaiti, December 1989
Jerusalem is the key to peace, Al-Kalima magazine, November 1993
The dialectic of homeland and exile, Masharef Magazine, August 1996
On the Usefulness of Writing, New Ages Journal, September 1999
his professional activities
A teacher in the schools of the Ministry of Education (1960-1972), including Raghadan Secondary School in Jabal Al-Hussein.
He worked for the Jordanian Al-Dustour newspaper as a writer and editor (1970-1985), writer and literary editor for local and Arab newspapers, including the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam, which was published in Ramallah between 1996-1998, the Lebanese Literature Magazine, Al-Manar, Palestine, and Nasirah and Haifa magazines.
Writer for New Horizon magazine, which was published in Jerusalem (1961-1969), and Al-Rai newspaper during the 1990s
He worked in the field of studies and media in the Ministry of Occupied Territories Affairs
He founded Dar Al Karmel for Publishing and Distribution, which he runs himself from 1985 until 2006.
Since 1995 he has been working as a consultant at the Ministry of Culture in the Palestinian Authority
Participated in many cultural and intellectual seminars and conferences in Jordan and abroad, including: Participated in an evening of stories at the Zarqa Chamber of Commerce in Jordan in 1972
His sponsorship of many talents, and highlighting them on the pages of Palestinian and Jordanian newspapers and magazines, when he was supervising the cultural pages
his posts
General Director of the Palestinian National Library
He contributed to the establishment of the General Union of Palestinian Writers, and was its Secretary General in the 1969 session.
He contributed to the establishment of the Jordanian Writers Association in 1974, and chaired it in 1984 and 1985.
Director of the Media Directorate in the Executive Office for Occupied Territory Affairs
Director of the Studies Directorate at the Ministry of Occupied Territory Affairs
General Director of the Palestinian National Library
Member of the General Union of Arab Writers and Writers
Member of the Palestinian Jordanian Society
Member of the Islamic Literature Association / Jordan Branch
Member of the International Lotus Award Jury
Chairman of the Palestinian Folklore Encyclopedia Committee
Chairman of the Noah Ibrahim Awards Committee for Palestinian Folklore in the 1977 session.
his death
Writer Khalil Al-Sawahry passed away on November 10, 2006
Achievements and Awards
Al-Sawahry won many local and Arab awards for his fictional and dramatic works, including:
Prize of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science for the Palestinian short story in 1977
Jordanian Writers Association Award for Short Short Story for the same year
Iranian Prize for Short Story in 1986
The Golden Prize of the Fourth Cairo Festival for Radio and Television for one of his stories
source
- Years in active
: From
To