Abdo Khal (born 3, August 1962,
Al-Mijannah,
Jizan,
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
Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
. 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
Classical Arabic ( ar, links=no, ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلْفُصْحَىٰ, al-ʿarabīyah al-fuṣḥā) or Quranic Arabic is the standardized literary form of Arabic used from the 7th century and throughout the Middle Ages, most notab ...
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
**Ger ...
and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
.
Work
Khal works as the
Editor-in-chef and a daily
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
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 BookerAbdo Khal at the Emirates Airline Festival of LiteratureInterview 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
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