# Mamdouh Adwan

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Syrian writer and critic (1941–2004)

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Mamdouh Adwan ممدوح عدوان Born 23 November 1941 (1941-11-23) Qayrun near Masyaf, Hama, Syria Died 19 December 2004(2004-12-19) (aged 63) Damascus, Syria Occupation Poet, writer and translator Nationality Syrian Period 1965–2004

**Mamdouh Adwan** ([Arabic](/source/Arabic_language): ممدوح عدوان, 23 November 1941 – 19 December 2004)[1] was a prolific [Syrian](/source/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](/source/Arabic), including the *[Iliad](/source/Iliad)*, the *[Odyssey](/source/Odyssey),* a biography of [George Orwell](/source/George_Orwell), the *Report to Greco* by [Nikos Kazantzakis](/source/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](/source/Higher_Institute_of_Dramatic_Arts_(Damascus)) in Damascus.[2] Only few of his works have been published in English, notably in [Banipal magazine](/source/Banipal).[1]

## Biography

Mamdouh Adwan was born in the village of [Qayrun](/source/Qayrun) near [Masyaf](/source/Masyaf), [Hama](/source/Hama) [Governorate](/source/Hama_Governorate), the first child of Sabri Adwan. After finishing his schooling in [Masyaf](/source/Masyaf), he moved to [Damascus](/source/Damascus) to study English literature at [Damascus University](/source/Damascus_University). He was married and had two sons. One of them, [Ziad Adwan](/source/Ziad_Adwan), is a theatre director, actor and author.[3]

## Works in English translation

- *The old man and the land.* Damascus : al-Tawjih Press, 1971.[4]

- *Selected poems*. (2008) translated by Sinan Antoon, [Banipal](/source/Banipal) 32

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SG1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SG1_1-1) ["Banipal (UK) Magazine of Modern Arab Literature - Contributors - Mamdouh Adwan"](http://www.banipal.co.uk/contributors/98/mamdouh-adwan/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SG2_2-0)** ["رحيل الأديب السوري ممدوح عدوان"](http://video.aljazeera.com/channels/eng/videos/%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AD-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86/3443935414001;jsessionid=F467AF405F64BF6658D2EB46684CFA33). *Al Jazeera English*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Johanna Sellman (2023), [*Arabic Literature in Europe. Defamiliarising Forced Migration.*](https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/pub/media/ebooks/9781399500142.pdf) (PDF), Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 170–171, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-399-50014-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-399-50014-2)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Adwan, Mamduh (1971). *The old man and the land*. Damascus: al-Tawjih Press. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [7369250](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/7369250).

## Further reading

- Darraj, Faisal (2004). Mamdouh Adwan and the freedom of the prolific creator. *Banipal 21*, autumn/winter

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