Samīra al-Māni'

Samīra al-Māni
Born1935 (1935)
Basra, Kingdom of Iraq
Died (aged 91)
EducationUniversity of Baghdad
OccupationsWriter, litterateur
Writing career
Notable worksCo-founder of the journal Literature in Exile (Arabic: الإغتراب الأدبي, al-ʾiġtirāb al-ʾadabī)

Samīra al-Māni' (Arabic: سميرة المانع‎; 1935 – 19 June 2026) was an Iraqi writer.[1][2]

Life and career

Samīra al-Māni' was born in Basra in 1935, and received a BA in Arabic literature from the University of Baghdad. She moved to London in 1965 and earned a diploma in librarianship from Ealing Technical College there in 1976.

In 1985, she co-founded al-Ightirab al-adabi (Arabic: الإغتراب الأدبي, al-ʾiġtirāb al-ʾadabī, Literature in Exile), a literary journal for Iraqi exiles. She participated in the International Writing Program at Iowa University in 1990. In that same year, she also attended the International Festival of Authors in Toronto.[3] Her short stories have been translated into English and Dutch.[4][5]

Al-Māni' was married to Salah Niazi, the Iraqi poet; the couple had two daughters.[4] She died on 19 June 2026, at the age of 91.[1][6]

Literary work

Her work often depicts Arab women attempting to adapt to life in other countries.[7]

Selected works

Source:[5]

  • al-Sabiqun wa-l-lahiqun ("The First and the Last"), novel (1972)
  • al-Ghina' ("Singing"), short stories (1976)
  • al-Thuna'iya al-Lunduniya ("A London Sequel"), novel (1979)
  • Hab! al-surra, novel (1990), published in English as Umbilical Cord (2005)[7]
  • al-Nisf faqat ("Only A Half"), play (1994), staged at the International Centre for Women Playwrights in Buffalo
  • al-Qami'un ("The Oppressors"), novel (1997)
  • al-Ruh wa ghayruha ("The Spirit and Other Things"), short stories (1999)

References

  1. 1 2 "رحيل سميرة المانع رائدة الرواية النسوية العراقية في المنفى". Rûdaw. 20 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  2. ↑ رحيل الروائية العراقية سميرة المانع في لندن عن عمر ناهز 90 عاماً (in Arabic)
  3. ↑ "Samira Al-Mana". Exiled Writers Ink. 30 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 Miller, Jane Eldridge (2001). Who's who in Contemporary Women's Writing. Psychology Press. p. 205. ISBN 0415159806.
  5. 1 2 Ashour, Radwa; Ghazoul, Ferial; Reda-Mekdashi, Hasna (2008). Arab Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide, 1873-1999. American University in Cairo Press. p. 439. ISBN 978-9774162671.
  6. ↑ Mayor, Raia (20 August 2026). "Samira al-Mana obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 Mustafa, Shakir (2018). Contemporary Iraqi Fiction: An Anthology. Syracuse University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0815654452.
  • "Samira al-Man'a". Arab Women Writers. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015.
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