Few words about me

I was born in Damascus 1939 to a well known family proud of being a descendant of the famous Salah Al Din Al Ayoubi (Saladin). Although the truthfulness of this heritage is, to my belief, a divine knowledge, but nevertheless it was always an inspirational to me.  After couple of years of my birth my father, a merchant and industrialist, moved his business to Jerusalem were I spent my childhood and early youth.   This period influenced, to this date, my life and writing. After the occupation of Palestine 1948 we returned to Damascus, and at that time I started writing short stories and scenarios for the Syrian National Radio Station. My work, broadcasted on a weekly base, was all about the events happening in Palestine. That was the reason why I was some time mistakenly introduced as a Palestinian writer despite the fact that I am from a Damascus family.

The tragic death in 1951 of my younger sister Sabiha with tuberculoses left a deep scar in my hart which was never healed. She was my companion and a dedicated reader of my work. Her death directed me to writing long novel in which I found a wider space to express my feelings and thoughts.

In 1954 I met the man who became my husband and companion for the next forty years Afif Al Bizri. He was later appointed as the head of the Syrian Army during the democratic rule in Syria in 1958. Afif was a talented enthusiastic energetic and inspiring person. We get married after a fast ever glowing love and short engagement. This man and his ideas and thoughts which were published in many books and articles are another great influence on my thinking and work.

I wrote in total 6 novels, 7 theater plays, an opera and poetry collection in English and in Arabic. I also carried out various studies about women and music harmony of Arabic poetry: