Nizar Qabbani
21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998
Nizar Qabbani was a Syrian poet and diplomat who wrote in a direct, colloquial Arabic idiom and published more than thirty collections of verse. His early work centred on love and the position of women in Arab society, while his later poetry turned to political subjects, particularly after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. He served in the Syrian foreign service for two decades before devoting himself to writing and publishing.
Lived at the same time
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Life events
He was born into a merchant family in the Midan quarter of Damascus, then under French mandate rule.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThe self-published volume of love poetry appeared while he was still a law student and drew criticism for its frankness.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe held postings that included Cairo, Ankara, London, Beijing and Madrid over the following two decades.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe founded the publishing house Manshurat Nizar Qabbani to issue his own work.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThe poem, written after the 1967 war, criticised Arab governments and was banned in several countries.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHis second wife was an Iraqi teacher he had met during a poetry recital in Baghdad.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe responded with the elegy Balqis, one of his best-known poems.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe spent the last years of his life in London, continuing to publish poetry in Arabic newspapers.
Source: en.wikipedia.org