* Palestenian
novelist, born in Haifa in August, 1921, where he remained until his
death in May 1996.
* He shifted from one job to another early in his life.
* He was involved in the palestinian nation's resistance against the
British occupier and joined the Palestinian Communist Party in the
1940s.
* Began writing short stories in the 1960s, and was
editor-in-chief of the Communist Party's Arabic newspaper, Al-Ithad, in
the 1970s.
* He was member of the Israeli Knesset from 1953-1972, after which
he resigned to write his first novel: Saeed the
Pessoptimist, depicting the life and fortunes of an Arab
citizen of the state of Israel. Published in 1974, it was an
instant success, and remains one of the greatest of modern Arabic
novels.
* Many of his novels reflect the palestinian identity within the Arab
Israeli conflict.
A selection of his works are :
* 1969 : " Sudaseyyat
el-ayyam el-setta "
* 1974: " el-Mutashael
"
*1976: "Kafr Kassem "
* 1980: a play " Lak'
bin Lak'
*1991: " Khurafeyyet
Sarayet Bint el-Ghoul "