Lena Khalaf Tuffaha is a poet, essayist, and translator. She is co-founder of the

Institute for Middle East Understanding Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) is a 501(c)(3) Pro-Palestinian non-profit advocacy organization. In 2006 it received a grant from the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development which was used to undertake the first co ...

and the author of three works of poetry: ''Letters from the Interior'' (Diode Editions); the 2018 Washington State Book Award winner ''Water & Salt'' (

Red Hen Press Red Hen Press is an American non-profit press located in Pasadena, California, and specializing in the publication of poetry, literary fiction, and nonfiction. The press is a member of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, and was a final ...

); and the 2016 Two Sylvias Press Prize winner ''Arab in Newsland'' (Two Sylvias Press). Khalaf Tuffaha is the recipient of a 2019 Washington State

Artist Trust Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting Washington artists working in all creative disciplines. Artist Trust provides artists the time and resources necessary to prosper. Since 1987 it has invested over ten million dol ...

Fellowship and the inaugural Poet-In-Residence at Open Books: A Poem Emporium in Seattle, Washington. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in '' Barrow Street,

Hayden's Ferry Review ''Hayden's Ferry Review'' is a literary magazine published biannually by Arizona State University (ASU). The magazine was established in 1986 and is headquartered in the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at ASU. It also manages a bl ...

Michigan Quarterly Review The ''Michigan Quarterly Review'' is an American literary magazine founded in 1962 and published at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The quarterly (known as "MQR" for short) publishes art, essays, interviews, memoirs, fiction, poetry, and ...

New England Review The ''New England Review'' is an American quarterly literary magazine published by Middlebury College. It was established in 1978 by Sydney Lea and Jay Parini. From 1982 till 1990, the magazine was named ''New England Review & Bread Loaf Quart ...

, TriQuarterly,'' and the Academy of American Poets ''Poem-a-Day'' series. Khalaf Tuffaha holds a BA in Comparative Literature from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

and an MFA from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. Based in Washington, Khalaf Tuffaha has also served as spokesperson for the Seattle, WA chapter of the

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) states that it is "the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States." According to its webpage it is open to people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities ...

Works

*''Letters from the Interior.'' Diode Editions. 2019. *''Water & Salt.''

. 2017. *''Arab in Newsland.'' Two Sylvias Press. 2017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khalaf Tuffaha, Lena Living people American women poets American people of Palestinian descent American people of Syrian descent American people of Jordanian descent Activists from Washington (state) Poets from Washington (state) 21st-century American poets Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American translators 21st-century American women writers University of Washington alumni Pacific Lutheran University alumni