May 29, 2023
Abdul Rahman Munif's 90th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates novelist, journalist, and cultural critic Abdul Rahman Munif. On this day in 1933, Munif was born in Amman, Jordan.
In 1952, Munif moved to Iraq to study law at the University of Baghdad. After leaving Iraq, he graduated from Cairo University in Egypt before earning his Ph.D. in petroleum economics at the University of Belgrade in 1961.
He had a career in the oil industry as an economist in Baghdad, and later for the Oil Ministry in Syria and OPEC. Munif lived in Iraq and was an editor at the monthly periodical al-Naft wa al-Tanmiyya (Oil and Development). He took an interest in writing during his childhood and believed “the mission of literature is to increase awareness.” He published several short stories before tackling his first book, which was in the production process during his time as an editor.
Munif published his first novel, Al Ashjar wa-ightiyal Marzuq (Trees and the Assassination of Marzooq) in 1973. This work persuaded people to ponder a freer and more just society. His best-known work is the quintet Mudun al-Milh (Cities of Salt, 1984-1989), which describes how the Arab world changed during the oil era. Other monumental books of his include Al-Nihayat (Endings, 1978), Sharq al-Mutawassit (East Of The Mediterranean), and the three-volume historical novel Ard Al-Sawad (Land of Darkness Trilogy, 1999).
Some of Munif’s 15 novels and 9 non-fiction books have been translated into over 10 languages. He won two distinguished awards for his writings, including the Al-Owais Cultural Award in 1989 and the Award of Cairo Gathering for Arab Creativity in Novel Writing in 1998.
Happy birthday Abdul Rahman Munif, thank you for your contributions to Arab literature and your analysis of sociopolitical issues.
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