- He was born in 1946 in Badra, Iraq.
- He obtained a BA in Fine Arts from Baghdad Academy for Fine Arts in 1970.
- He worked as a secondary school teacher for 9 years before retiring on ill health grounds.
- He began his artistic career as a plastic artist, however he used to write poetry during his years and his poems were published by Beirut’s “Al Aadab” magazine at the time.
- He began writing his debut novel “Nafithat Se’at Al Hilm” (A Window as Big as a Dream) in the 1970s and published it in 1977.
- In the early 1980s he worked as a Language Supervisor in “Aafaq Arabiya” magazine in Iraq before joining “Asfar” magazine as a sub-editor. He also worked in “Aqlam” and “Al Thaqafa Al Ajnabiya” magazines.
- He authored a collection of short stories titled, “Ha’et Al Banadeq” (Rifle Wall) in addition to a number of short stories that were not released in book form. He also wrote two plays, however he was more involved in writing novels.
- He contributed one chapter in a book titled “Naguib Mahfouz: the Emperor of Arab Fiction), which was published by Al Sada magazine.
- His fiction has received wide critical acclaim in Iraq and the Arab World, and many studies and university theses were written about his works.
- Many of his novels were translated into a number of languages including; Chinese, English and Italian.
- He received many awards including:
– He was selected among five international novelists, to write modern Arab history in the form of a novel in the context of the Qatar International Award for the Novel. His novel, entitled “Maqamat Ismail Al Thabeeh” (The Tales of Ismail the Slaughtered), was published.
– In 1987, he won the Big East Gallery Award for his novel “Alraooq”.
– In 1990, he won the Award for the “Best Literary Book” for his novel “Qabla an Yuhalliq Al Bashiq” (Before the Bashiq Flies Off) from the General House of Cultural Affairs, Iraq.
– His novel “Sabe’ Ayyam Al Khalq” (The Seventh Day of Creation) won the “Best Iraqi Novel” Award in 1995.
– In 2000, his play “Albeezar” won the State Prize for Drama in Iraq.
- Publications:
– “Nafitha Bi Si’at Al Hilm” (A Window as Big as a Dream, novel) 1977
– “Man Yaftah Bab Al Talsam” (Who is to Open the Door of the Talisman, novel)1982
– “Mukabadat Abdullah Al Aashiq” (The Sufferings of Abdullah, the Lover, novel) 1982
– “Ha’et Al Banadeq” (The Rifle Wall, a collection of short stories) 1983
– “Al Rawooq” (novel) 1986
– “Qabla an Yuhalliq Al Bashiq” (Before the Bashiq Flies Off, novel) 1990
– “Sabe’ Ayyam Al Khalq” (The Seventh Day of Creation, novel published in several editions, the last of which was released in 2011)
– “Albeezar” (a play) 1999
– “Naharat Al Liali Al Alf” (The Mornings of the One Thousand Nights, a play) 2001
– “Atras Al Kalam” (Erased Words, novel published in several editions, the last of which was released in 2009)
– “Safar Al Sarmadiyya” ( The Book of Eternity, novel published in several editions, the last of which was released in 2006)
– “Layl Ali Baba Al Hazeen” (Ali Baba’s Sorrowful Nightو novel) 2013
– “Ma Lam Tamsashu Nar” (Untouched by Fire)
– “Maqamat Ismail Al Thabeeh” (The Tales of Ismail the Slaughtered, novel) second edition published in 2016
Contact number: 00964- 01- 5438246
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