Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Mufid Mahna (1981-) is a Palestinian novelist, poet, and journalist.
His life and upbringing
Born in the village of Al-Buqai'a in the Upper Galilee in 1981 , he won the Qattan Award for Best Palestinian Novelist in 2009 for his novel “I am a Jerusalemite.” He has a book of poetry titled “With the Brush of Absurdity” and a long poem titled “The Flock of Visions of Revelation” pending publication.
Academic achievement
Graduate Studies: Bachelor's degree in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem .
Secondary stage: He completed his secondary studies at Mar Elias College in the village of Abileen.
Preparatory stage: He completed his preparatory studies in his hometown, Al-Buqay`ah.
Literary life
Alaa grew up in the Galilee village of Al-Buqai'a in a cultured, patriotic family. He is the son of the communist writer and journalist Mufid Muhanna. He began writing at the age of ten. He wrote classical and free verse poetry from his early childhood, but his first publication was a prose novel.
Upon reaching adulthood, he refused to comply with the mandatory conscription order imposed on members of his Arab Druze community in the Israeli army. He then moved to live in Jerusalem, and the Holy City occupied an important place in both his life and his writing.
He founded, edited, and published, with his university colleagues, the cultural and artistic magazine "Hawamesh," which was distributed in thousands of copies in Palestine and several Arab capitals.
In 2009, he won the Abdul Mohsen Al-Qattan Award for Best Palestinian Novelist for his novel "I Am a Jerusalemite," which was published by Al-Ahlia Publishing and Distribution House in 2011.
He participated in many literary, political and national festivals in Palestine and the Arab world.
He founded, along with many writers inside Palestine, the Palestinian Writers Union of 1948 and was elected to be a member of the union's board.
I am a Jerusalemite novel
"This novel delves into thorny areas rarely addressed in fiction, conveying an important aspect of the lives of a segment of Palestinian students in Jerusalem (who hold Israeli ID cards) and the struggles they face regarding their identity, the meaning of struggle, and its methods. The novel involves fierce self-criticism and an attempt to rebel against the stereotypes created by sects, clans, and the occupation. It also poses vital and fateful questions that touch on various aspects of life. There is rebellion... clear characters, and an engaging narrative. This novel, which foretells of a promising talent, is also distinguished by its presentation of the political reality of the Palestinian in its relationship with the wall, the fragmentation of indigenous communities, and their social problems."
(From the statement of the jury of the Young Writer Competition for the year 2009)
Source
Achievements and Awards
- Years in active
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