The literature of Syrian women writers in exile
On Monday, March 10, the Casa de Vacas Cultural Center will be hosting this event, organized by the Spanish Writers’ Association (ACE). It will feature several Syrian women writers and end with a musical performance.
February 28, 2025
MADRID
The event will be held at the Casa de Vacas Cultural Center (Retiro) on Monday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Rima Bali
Born in Aleppo in 1969, Rima Bali is known for novels like Suleima’s Ring and The Blue Sunflower, the latter of which was translated into Spanish in 2023, as well as Nay in a Western Orchestra, her latest book, in addition to other works published by firms in Beirut and Cairo. As a result, her books have been translated into several languages and have received acknowledgment in the form of some of the Arab world’s most prestigious prizes.
Maisoun Shukair
Born in Damascus in 1969, she holds a Master’s degree in Arab and Islamic Studies from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, as well as having authored books of poems such as Get Your Face out of My Mirror, Don’t Go off to Death Alone, War and Exile, and A Portrait That Holds up the Wall, translated from the Arabic by Carmen Ruiz Bravo. For these works she was given the Award of the Union of Palestinian Women Writers and Journalists in 2008 and the Poetry Award of the Mediterranean Countries for 2022 in Rome.
Nesrine Khoury
Born in Aleppo in 1983, she is a writer and translator. Before coming to Spain, she studied Engineering and worked at the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Syria. She has authored novels, short stories, essays, poetry and song lyrics, including the well-known poetry book Pas en fals al marge de la història, for which she has been published in several anthologies of Arab poets in Europe and participated in various literary and musical festivals in the Mediterranean.
Linda Alhamad
Specializing in classical Arabic singing, she has also worked in theater, film and television. As a vocalist, she has taken part in numerous international festivals, including the Poliritmia Festival in Valencia; concerts, such as the one offered by RTVE at the Teatro Monumental in a duet with tenor Nacho Bas, in addition to many others. She is also founder of the magazine Maryouma for immigrant children in Europe and a teacher of Middle Eastern singing in Spain.
Hames Bitar
Born in Syria in 1968, Bitar grew up with the Arab music tradition in his family, and by the age of 8 he was already playing the Arabic oud. In Spain, where he has lived for 25 years, he has explored other instruments including the guitar and has studied the relationship between flamenco and Arab music, having appeared in albums and fusion concerts with groups such as Radio Tarifa. With the Fundación Legado Andalusí, he recorded the album Puertas de Oriente, and alongside his group Darawish, the jazz fusion album Madar.
Fanny Rubio
An Andalusian from Jaén, Rubio is a professor emeritus at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a former director of the Cervantes Institute in Rome and the author of numerous novels, poems and essays. These include El dios dormido (The Sleeping God), published by Editorial Alfaguara; 25 Poemas (25 Poems), a selection published by Fundación Málaga, and Baeza, nido de poetas (Baeza, Nest of Poets). Her work and career Rubio has won many different international awards and has received acknowledgment in the form of the Encomienda de Isabel la Católica.
Pepa Roma
Born in La Sentiu de Siò (Lleida), she is a journalist and writer. She has worked with some of the most important Spanish media, from La Vanguardia and El Periodico de Catalunya to TVE and El País, with a lengthy career as a special enjoy, above all in the Arab world. As a novelist, she has written Mandala (winner of the Andalusia Novel Award, it was published by Alfaguara), Indian Express (Azorín Novel Award, it was published by Planeta) and Una familia imperfecta (An Imperfect Family, published by Espasa). The most notable of her many essays are La trastienda del Escritor (The Writer’s Back Room) and Jaque a la globalización. Cómo crean su red los movimientos sociales y alternativos (Checkmate for Globalization: How social and alternative movements create their network).
