Prof. Sanaa Shalan

Prof. Sanaa Shalan

Prof. Sanaa Shalan (bint Na,imah): is a Jordanian of Palestinian descent, she is writer, academician, and media personality, is widely recognized as a prominent figure in Arabic literature. She is often referred to as "the Sun of Arabic Literature" and "the Lady of the Arabic Short Story." Her contributions to literature and her activism in various social causes have earned her international acclaim and numerous awards.


Prof. Shalan holds a Ph.D. in Modern Literature and Criticism with Distinction.

She currently serves as an Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Jordan. Her prolific literary career has resulted in the publication of 80 works, encompassing novels, short story collections, children's literature, plays, travelogues, and comparative literature studies. She also has numerous published articles, essays, and regular columns in various Arabic publications.


Beyond her literary accomplishments, Prof. Shalan is a passionate advocate for human rights, women's empowerment, child welfare, and social justice.

She serves as the Honorary President of the International Peace and Friendship Organization for the years 2023-2024. Her activism has led to her participation in numerous local, Arab, and international conferences on literature, criticism, human rights, environmental issues, social justice, Arab heritage, human civilization, and comparative literature.


Prof. Shalan's works have been translated into multiple languages and have received critical acclaim worldwide. She has been the recipient of numerous international, Arab, local, and regional awards in the fields of novels, short stories, children's literature, scientific research, theater, travel literature, comparative literature, and media. Her plays have been performed on local and Arab stages.


Prof. Shalan's literary works have been the subject of extensive critical studies, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations across Jordan, the Arab world, and internationally. Her contributions to Arabic literature have established her as a pioneer and a role model for aspiring writers.


Prof. Shalan is a representative of many cultural and human rights institutions.


She is a partner in many Arab and international cultural and intellectual projects.


Her works have been honored with numerous awards, shields, honorary titles, cultural, community, and human rights representations.


Prof. Sanaa Shalan stands as a beacon of literary excellence and social activism. Her contributions to Arabic literature, her advocacy for human rights, and her dedication to social causes have left an indelible mark on the world stage. She continues to inspire and empower individuals through her writings and her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on society.

Winners of the Palestine Book Awards

  • Elastic empire: refashioning war through aid in palestine
  • The revolution of 1936–1939 in palestine
  • Against erasure: a photographic memory of palestine before the nakba
  • Out of gaza: new palestinian poetry
  • Knights of cinema: the story of the palestine film unit
  • Lana Makes Purple Pizza: A Palestinian Food Tale
  • They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom
  • I Sing From the Window of Exile
  • Imagining Palestine: Cultures of Exile and National Identity
  • Transnational Palestine: Migration and the Right of Return before 1948
  • Among the Almond Trees: A Palestinian Memoir
  • Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza
  • Tolerance Is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial
  • Reclaiming Humanity in Palestinian Hunger Strikes : Revolutionary Subjectivity and Decolonizing the Body
  • Psychoanalysis under occupation: practicing resistance in Palestine
  • Power born of dreams: my story is palestine
  • Al-Haq: A Global History of the First Palestinian Human Rights Organization
  • Sambac Beneath Unlikely Skies
  • Places of Mind: A life of Edward Said
  • Except for Palestine: The limits of progressive politics