Ghayath Almadhoun is a Palestinian poet born in Damascus in 1979 and immigrated to Sweden in 2008. Right now he lives in between Berlin & Stockholm. Almadhoun has published four collections of poetry, the latest “Adrenaline” in Milano 2017. In Sweden, he has been translated and published in two collections: Asylansökan (Ersatz, 2010), which was awarded the Klas de Vylders stipendiefond for immigrant writers. He also authored Till Damaskus (Albert Bonniers Förlag, 2014) together with the Swedish poet Marie Silkeberg. which was included in “Dagens Nyheter” (the largest Swedish newspaper) literary critic list for Best New Books and converted to a Radio Play for Swedish National Radio. With Silkeberg, Almadhoun has also made several poetry films. His work has been translated into Swedish, German, Greek, Slovenian, Italian, English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Czech, Croatian, Albanian, Lithuanian, Indonesian, Macedonian, Bengali, Persian, Hindi and Chinese.
The Dutch translation of Almadhoun's poems, Weg van Damascus, (Uitgeverij Jurgen Maas) Amsterdam 2014, was one of the top 10 selling poetry books in Belgium for several weeks in 2015 & 2017.
His poetry has been part of many artist's works, for example, the renowned American artist Jenny Holzer has projected poems by Almadhoun in “For Aarhus” Aarhus, Danmark, "MASS MoCA" Massachusetts, USA, "Off-White" Florence, Italy, Blenheim Palace, England & "Tutta la Verità" Bergamo, Italy. Also, the legendary artist Blixa Bargeld has read loudly his poems in Norway & Greece.
Lately, he had published together with the Dutch poet Anne Vegter, the poetry collection "ik hier jij daar" (Uitgeverij Jurgen Maas) Amsterdam 2017. Also, the book was one of the top 10 selling poetry books in Belgium for several weeks in 2017.
Adrenalin a selection of his poems translated into English by Catherine Cobham released from Action Books, USA, on 15th November 2017.
Adrenalin was at the 2018 BTBA longlist, Best Translated Book Award in the Us, and on the Small Press Distribution list of Poetry Bestsellers for four months - December 2017, January 2018, February 2018 & January 2019.
"Ein Raubtier namens Mittelmeer" a selection of Ghayath Almadhoun's poems translated into German by Larissa Bender released on the 9th February 2018 by (Arche Literatur Verlag AG) Zürich / Hamburg.
The book ranked number 1 on "Litprom-Bestenliste / Sommer 2018" list for the best books translated into German.
Recently his poetry published in three books in Bengali, Persian and Italian.
Almadhoun awarded the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program scholarship (Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD) 2019 / 2020.
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Poetry Collections:
2004
قصائد سقطت سهواً
poetry collection published by The Union of Arabs Writers
(2005 ALMAZRAA Award, Syria)
2008
كلما اتسعت المدينة ضاقت غرفتي
poetry collection published at the occasion of Damascus as Cultural Capital for Arabic Culture 2008.
(Damascus Arab Capital of Culture prize for young writers)
2010
Asylansökan. poetry collection translated to Swedish, published by Ersatz, Stockholm.
(2012 Klas de Vylders Award, Sweden)
2012
Prestolnica. poems translated into Slovenian , published by: Studentska Zalozba. Ljubljana.
2014
Till Damaskus. poetry collection is written in collaboration by Ghayath Almadhoun & Marie Silkeberg, published by Albert Bonniers Förlag, Stockholm.
2014
لا أستطيع الحضور
poetry collection published by the Arab Institute for Research and Publishing in Beirut and Amman.
2014
Weg van Damascus. poetry collection translated into Dutch, published by Uitgeverij Jurgen Maas, Amsterdam.
(Top 10 Poetry Sales in Flanders, Belgium, 2015 & 2017)
2016 Second Edition.
2017 Third Edition.
2018 Fourth Edition.
2017
أدرينالين
poetry collection published by Almutawassit in Milano 2017.
2018 Second Edition
2017
ik hier jij daar. a poetry collection together with the Dutch poet Anne Vegter, published by (Uitgeverij Jurgen Maas) Amsterdam.
(Top 10 Poetry Sales in Flanders, Belgium, 2017)
2018 Second Edition.
2017
Adrenalin
Poetry selection translated into English by Catherine Cobham published by Action Books, USA, November 2017.
2018
Ein Raubtiernamens Mittelmeer
Poetry selection translated into German by Larissa Bender published by Arche Literatur Verlag, Zürich / Hamburg, February 2018.
2019
Adrenalin
Poetry selection translated into Bangali by Manos Chakraborty
West Bengal, India, November 2019.
2019
Adrenalin
Poetry selection translated into Persian by Sara Rahmati
published by Nashre Markaz, Iran, November 2019.
2021
Adrenalina
Poetry book translated into Italian by Jolanda Guardi
published by Edizioni Centro Studi Ilà® 2021
eBooks & Audiobooks:
2015
Schizophrenia: eBook and audiobook part of citybooks, an initiative of the Flemish-Dutch House deBuren (the Neighbors) in cooperation with local partners. citybooks are unique short stories, poems, essays and photos about cities written by international authors and artists.
Languages: English, French, German, Dutch and Arabic.
2016
The capital: eBook and audiobook part of citybooks, an initiative of the Flemish-Dutch House deBuren (the Neighbors) in cooperation with local partners. citybooks are unique short stories, poems, essays and photos about cities written by international authors and artists.
Languages: English, French, German, Dutch and Arabic.
Anthologies:
Anthologies 2014-2018:
- Anthology in French: L'amour au temps de l'insurrection et de la guerre, Paris 2014. Second Edition: 2016.
- Anthology in Dutch and English: Syrian Art In Diaspora, Amsterdam 2015
- Anthology in Dutch: Dichters in de Prinsentuin, Groningen, Nederländerna, 2015
- Anthology in Italian: Muovi menti - segnali da un mondo viandante, 2016
- Anthology in Dutch: Antwerpen, By: citybooks & deBuren, Brussels & Amsterdam, 2016
- Anthology in Spanish & English: Oír ese río, Argentina 2017
- Anthology in Arabic & German: Ein Stein, nicht umgewendet. Berlin 2017
- Anthology in Dutch: Ieper, By citybooks & deBuren, Brussels & Amsterdam, 2018
- Anthology in French: la valeur décimale du bonheur, Paris 2018.
- Anthology in French: la valeur décimale du bonheur, Paris 2018.
- Anthology in Italian: In guerra non mi cercate. Poesia araba delle rivoluzioni e oltre, Italy 2018
Magazines:
In Swedish:
”Fängslade författare – 50 år med fängslade författares kommitté” Svenska Pen 2010
Lyrikvännen 2012
Subaltern 2012
Ord & Bild 2013
Supermarket Art Magazine 2014
Karavan 2014
10TAL 2015
Provins 2015
Tempo dokumentärfestival Magazine 2017
In Arabic:
Al-Quds al-Arabi 2012
Al-Ayyam 2013
Alarab 2014
Citybooks 2015
UltraSawt 2015
Jadaliyya 2016
Diffah Thalitha 2017
Other languages:
The magazine ”Telefon” 2012 (Greek)
Lyrikline, 2012 (German)
Poetry of Anish Kapoor. BOZAR LITERATURE, Belgium 2013 (Dutch, French and English)
The magazine ”Sagarana Magazine” 2013 (Italian)
The magazine ”Ovidat” 2013 (Danish)
The flemish newspaper ”De Standaard” Belgium 2015 (Dutch)
The magazine “Victor B. Andersen's Maskinfabrik” Denmark 2015 (Swedish)
“La macchina sognante”, Italy 2015 (Italian)
The magazine “Tripwire” USA 2016 (English)
The magazine “Mosaik” Salzburg, Austria 2016 (German & Arabic)
“Cabaret Wittgenstein" Germany & Switzerland 2016 (English)
The magazine "DW B" Leuven, Belgien, June 2016 (Dutch)
"frACTalia" Romania, 2016 (English)
The magazine "DW B" Leuven, Belgien, September 2016 (Dutch)
The magazine “Manuskripte - Zeitschrift für Literatur” Austria, November 2016 (German)
“La macchina sognante”, Italy 2016 (Italian)
The Guardian, Translation Tuesday, England 2017 (English)
Menage Magazine, New York 2017 (English)
This Week in Palestine - Palestine March 2017 (English)
The flemish newspaper ”De Standaard” Belgium 2017 (Dutch)
Beton International Magazine, Kosovo 2017 (English)
“La macchina sognante”, Italy 2017 (Italian)
Carmilla on line, Italy (Italian)
The magazine “Manuskripte - Zeitschrift für Literatur” Austria, September 2017 (German)
Interim - A journal of contemporary poetry and poetics, USA, February 2018 (English)
Tau · zeitschrift für literature, Germany, March 2018 (German)
North American Review, USA, 303.1 Winter Issue 2018 (English)
Literatūra ir menas, Iš 3668 / 24 žurnalo, November 2018 (Lithuanian)
The magazine ”Telefon” 2019 (Greek)
Arc Poetry Magazine 89: Arc’s Summer 2019, Canada (English)
Translations into: Swedish, German, Greek, Slovenian, Italian, English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Czech, Croatian, Albanian, Lithuanian, Indonesian, Macedonian, Bengali, Persian and Chinese.
Radio Works:
Radio Drama “Till Damaskus” - a radio drama based on the poetry book "Till Damaskus" which I wrote together with Swedish poet Marie Silkeberg, Radioteatern, Sveriges Radio.
Radio Theatre, Sweden Radio
premiered in September 2014
Dagens dikt (the poem of the day)
Sveriges Radio / Sweden's Radio
17 February 2015, "Jag kan inte komma"
20 December 2015, "Massakern"
29 December 2015, "Massakern"
Exhibition:
Syrian Art In Diaspora:
Poems & poetry film, 2015, Amsterdam.
Jenny Holzer- With renowned American artist Six poems by Almadhoun has been projected from 25th February – 6th March on the façade of Aarhus Theatre as part of “For Aarhus” a new work in celebration of Aarhus, European Capital of Culture 2017.
Jenny Holzer- From 28th May 2017, four poems by Almadhoun will be projected on MASS MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts, USA.
Jenny Holzer- Three poems by Almadhoun will be projected by on the night of June 15th 2017, on in the city of Florence as a collaboration with the city of Florence, between Holzer and the talented and artistic American fashion designer based in Milan Virgil Abloh. Virgil will debut his fall/winter 2017/2018 collection, with an elaborately orchestrated outdoor event in the courtyard of the Pitti Palace.
Other production:
Young female poets from the Middle East:
In the past years, I have selected young female poets from the Middle East to come to Sweden for poetry readings is part of the project SHAERAT. The idea is that the young Swedish female poets first travel to the Middle East and meet the female poets and have a workshop to translate poetry into Swedish, and then translate the Swedish poetry to the language of the country they are visiting, then they have a poetry reading together. After a few months, the young female poets from the Middle East come to Sweden to do the same program. We have invited young female poets from Palestine in 2012, Iran in 2013, Iraq in 2014, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2015, Algeria in 2017, and know we work on Egypt. The work from every country had produced in a whole number of the Nordic literature magazine Kritiker.
Who should get the Nobel Prize in 2016?
I was one of three PEN writers to choose the Swedish PEN candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Poetry Films: (together with Marie Silkeberg):
Ödeläggelse IV Stockholm – Gaza, 2009
The City, 2012
Your Memory is My Freedom, 2012
The Celebration, 2014
SNOW, 2015
Poetry Activities:
International Poetry Festival & readings. (Selection):
- Bagdad Café 2008, Stockholm
- International Poetry Festival 2010, Visby
- Stockholm Poetry Festival 2010, Dramaten, Stockholm
- Litteraturfestival 2011, Lillehammer, Norway
- Poesiefestival Berlin, Germany 2011
- Stanza International Poetry Festival 2012, St. Andrews, Scotland
- Days of Poetry and Wine International Poetry Festival 2012, Slovenia
- Philastiniat 2012, Milano, Italy
- Poets’ Long Night of Readings, ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2012, Berlin, Germany
- Third Forum of the New Text ”After the Prose Poem" 2013, Cairo, Egypt.
- 100 Thousand Poets for Change 2013, Bologna, Italy.
- Read my world, International Literature Festival 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Oslo International Poetry Festival 2013, Oslo, Norway.
- Poets’ Long Night of Readings, ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2014, Berlin, Germany.
- Read my world, International Literature Festival 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Uppläsning och diskussion av “Weg van Damascus”, Perdu, Amsterdam, 2014
- Uppläsning och filmvisning av 'The Celebration', Bozar, Brussels, 2014
- Merci internationella poesifestival, Gothenburg, 2014
- Abu Dhabi bokmässa (Sweden as guest of honor), 2014
- Chengdu, Kina, 2014
- Passa Porta International Literature Festival 2015, Brussels, Belgium.
- Reading and two-week stay with CITY BOOKS Project, 2015 Ypres, Belgium
- Uppläsning med PEN WiPC och ICORN, 2015, Perdu, Amsterdam, Nederländerna.
- Reading with Writers Unlimited, 2015, The Hague, Netherlands.
- Reading with Kantoorpoëzie, 2015, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Dichters in de Prinsentuin Poetry Festival, 2015 Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Reading and one month stay as PEN resident, 2015 Antwerp, Belgium
- Citybook, Antwerpen, The Netherlands 2016
- Lesereise mosaik – Hamburg, 2016
- "Poetry for Palestine" Ghayath Almadhoun, Asmaa Azaizeh & Ghassan Zaqtan - BOZAR Brussels 2016
- Ghayath Almadhoun & Asmaa Azaizeh - Perdu, Amsterdam, 2016
- Khashabi Theatre, Haifa 2016
- Opening of PalFest, Ramallah 2016
- Reding with Asmaa Azaizeh, Mahmoud Darwish Museum, Ramallah 2016
- PalFest, Haifa 2016
- Poesiefestival Berlin, Germany 2016
- “Hafenlesung” with Monika Rinck, Ghayath Almadhoun - Hamburg 2016
- Reding with Asmaa Azaizeh, Mezyan, Beirut 2016
- Reding at Amman International Book Fair, Amman 2016
- FreiSchreiben. Literatur und Widerstand: “Exit: Europa. Graz 2016
- Stockholm Poetry Festival 2016, Stockholm
- George Town Literary Festival, Malaysia 2016
- Mediterranean Literary Gathering Albert Camus - Minorca 2017
- Ghayath Almadhoun & Anne Vegter - Perdu, Amsterdam, 2017
- Bru Taal - International biennial Literature festival - Bruges 2017
- Reading & discussion with Annelies Verbeke - Boekhandel Limerick, Gent, Belgium 2017
- polip – International Literature Festival Prishtina 2017
- Poetry On The Road international poetry festival 2017
- Poesiefestival Berlin, Germany 2017
- L'Orecchio di Dioniso International Poetry Festival, Italy 2017
- Frankfurter Lyriktage 2017
- Mahmoud Darwish Museum, Ramallah 2017
- Khashabi Theatre, Haifa 2017
- Steirischer Herbst Festival, Graz 2017
- Reading by Small Press Traffic at Artists' Telvision Access, San Francisco, November 2017
- Reading & discussion at The Markaz: Resource Center, Stanford University, California, November 2017
- Reading at Poetic Research Bureau, Los Angeles, November 2017
- Reading, Into the Woods: Commissioning Artists in a Forest, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, California, November, 2017
- Explore The North Festival, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, November, 2017
- Meet Ghayath Almadhoun and Hassan Blasim, Reading & discussion, Pages Book Store Cafe Amsterdam, November, 2017
- Reading & discussion, Voorbij vliegend wild, Verre landen, nabije schrijvers, Bibliotheek Permeke, Antwerp, Belgium, November, 2017
- Winternachten International Literature Festival 2018 - Writers Unlimited, The Hague, Netherlands, January, 2018
- Guest at the book fair in Morocco, February 2018
- Zesdekeer DWDD Heimwee: Hier is... Adriaan van Dis, 8 March 2018
- Five readings and discussions at Leipzig Book Fair, 15th, 16th, and the 17th March.
- Haus für Poesie - Buchpremiere: Ein Raubtiernamens Mittelmeer - 19 March 2018
- TAU Geburtslesung, Hamburg, 22 March 2018
- Uppsala internationella litteratur festival, March 2018
- Onderweg Festival, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, May 2018
- Boekhandel Hijman Ongerijmd, Arnhem, Netherlands, May 2018
- Mahmoud Darwish Museum, Ramallah, May 2018
- VICTIMS OF THE MAP – 3 PALESTINIAN WRITERS, Bozar, Brussels, 6 June 18
- VOIX VIVES Poetry festival, Ramallah, August 2018
- Struga Poetry Evenings, Struga, Macedonia, August 2018
- Readings & discussion, Veranstaltungen –mosaik-
- Un|settled Festival, Bruges, October 2018
- Zeitschrift für Literatur und Kultur, Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Austria, October 2018
Literatu gegen Willkür, Cologne, Germany, October 2018
- Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Bali, Indonesia, October 2018
- Vilniauslapai - International Literary Festival, Vilnius, Lithuania, November 2018
Readings in Sweden over the past two years. (Selection):
”Palestinsk kulturhelg”, Kulturhuset, Stockholm
Folkkultur-centrum, Stockholm
Folkets hus, Gothenburg
Rum för Poesi, Gothenburg Book Fair
”Syrien: Uppror, kultur och journalistik” Stockholms Stadsteater
Stanza, Malmo
Copacabanas Litterära Tisdagsklubb, Stockholm
Gothenburg International Poetry Festival
Världspoesidagen, Kägelbanan, Stockholm
Solidaritetskväll för Syrien, Årsta, Stockholm
Ordival, Borlänge
Aspuddens bokhandel, Stockholm
Söderbokhandeln, Stockholm
FORUM Nutidsplats för kultur, Stockholm
Världspoesidagen, Lund
Forum för poesi och prosa, Göteborg
Clandestino Festival
VÄLKOMMEN HIT, VÄLKOMMEN IN, En föreställning till förmån för barn på flykt, Hörsalen, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Stockholm
Fängslade författares dag, Malmö Live
WORLDWIDE READING FÖR ASHRAF FAYADH, Klarabiografen, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Stockholm
Revolutionary Voices - The Power of the Arts in the Middle East, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Stockholm
NONCITIZEN DIASPORIC SYMPOSIUM: Filmmakers in exile, Dramalabbet, Stockholm
Julgala för Syriens folk, Stora Scen, Södra teatern