Abdo Khal (born 3, August 1962, Al-Mijannah,

Jizan Jazan ( ar, جازان, Jāzān), also spelled ''Jizan'' ( ar, جيزان, Jīzān), ''Gizan'' or ''Gazan'', is a port city and the capital of Jizan Region, which lies in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia and directly north of the border with ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

) is an Arab writer and winner of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Biography

He left his home village at a young age and currently lives in Jeddah. Before becoming a writer, Khal has been working as a journalist since 1982. His works, written in a distinctive style that blends Qur'anic Arabic with dialectal (specifically

Hijazi Hijazi, Hijazy, Hejazi or Hegazy ( ar, حجازي) is an Arabic surname originally designating a person (or their ancestor) from the Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia. People Hijazi * Abdallah Hijazi, Lebanese basketball player * Ahmed Hijazi (poet), ...

) Arabic, have made him known within and beyond the Arab world. Khal studied political science before becoming a novelist and his works criticize the corruption of the very wealthy in the Arab world. They are unavailable in his home country. According to himself, this is because they "address the sacrosanct trio of taboos in the Arab world: sex, politics, and religion". Due to Khal winning the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, his works are expected to soon be translated into various languages and become more known outside the Arabic-speaking world. Indeed, some of Khal's work have been translated and published in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and French.

Work

Khal works as the Editor-in-chef and a daily columnist of Ukaz newspaper. Moreover, he is member of the Board of Directors of Jeddah Literary Club.

Bibliography

* Cities Eating Grass * Immorality * The Mud * Death Passes from Here * Days Don't Hide Anyone * Barking * She Throws Sparks

References

External links

CNN.com: 'Terrifying' Saudi novel wins Arabic Booker

Abdo Khal at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

Interview with the Saudi Arabian Writer Abdo Khal: The Discovery of Arabic Literature in the Gulf
Living people 1962 births Saudi Arabian novelists International Prize for Arabic Fiction winners {{SaudiArabia-writer-stub