Mahmoud Darwish

Darwish

I am Yousef abo Gnam from Al-Tur school for boys. I am 12 years old and I am in 6th grade.

Mahmoud Darwish is my hero. He lived most of his life away from his country. I am looking forward to being like him in the future. He born in the village of Al-Birwa in the western Galilee and regarded as the Palestinian national poet. His family fled to Lebanon after the establishment of the State of Israel but came back a year later and settled in Deir-Al-Asad.

He finished his high school and left Israel in 1970 to study in USSR. He stayed their for a year an then moved to Egypt and Lebanon. Mahmoud Darwish joined the PLO in 1973 and was banned from entering Israel.

His first book of poetry, "Asafir Bila Ajiniha" was published in 1970. He started in the mid seventies to be considered as a Palestinian symbol and a spokesman for Arab opposition to Israel.

Darwish's work won numerous awards and has been translated and published in more than 20 languages. He himself wrote in Arabic, but spoke English, French and Hebrew.

The central theme of most of Darwish's poetry is the concept of watam or homeland. He had published many works in poetry and prose such as, Leaves of olives, Diary of the Palestinian wound, Attempt number 7, Butterfly effect etc. and he had won many awards. He had won the Lotus Prize, Lenin Peace Prize, Bosnian stecak and others.

Darwish

Darwish died on August 9, 2008 and was buried in Ramallah, Palestine in accordance with his will.