Ghada al-Samman is a prolific writer who has produced over 40 works in a variety of genres, including journalism, poetry, short stories, and the novel. Outspoken, innovative, and provocative, Samman is a highly respected if sometimes controversial writer in the Arab world who is becoming increasingly well known internationally; several of her works have been translated from Arabic into languages such as English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, German, Japanese, and Farsi.Unconventional in both her personal life and literary works, Samman is undaunted by the negative criticism that some of her work has incurred. She depicts such “taboo” subjects as political corruption and women’s sexuality and exposes all that she considers hypocritical, exploitative, or repressive in Arab societies. Towards that end, she creates strong yet flawed characters in specifically Arab socio-cultural locations, and relies heavily on stream of consciousness, symbolism, allegory, and fantasy in much of her work. Join us for a special CSP event with Dr. Afnan Mawassi as we delve into the life and some of the poetry of an inspiring arab female author who championed feminism and revolution.

Dr. Afnan Mawassi is a distinguished scholar in the field of philosophy and literature, with a special focus on women’s poetry. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature as well as in Education from the University of Haifa in 2000. Furthering her academic journey, she earned a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature from the same institution in 2004. Dr. Mawassi then moved to the University of Tel Aviv, where she pursued a Master’s degree with a thesis on the thematic and stylistic comparisons between the poetry of Fadwa Tuqan and Emily Dickinson. She later advanced to PhD candidacy, successfully submitting her thesis proposal in July 2018. Her doctoral research, completed in 2023, was an in-depth analysis of the evolution of the male figure in Ghadda alSamman’s feminist poetry. Dr. Mawassi is an expert in a variety of academic disciplines, including literature, pedagogy, composition and rhetoric, and academic writing. She also has a keen interest in international affairs and academic relations. With a strong emphasis on women’s literature and poetry, she has contributed significantly to the fields of literary studies and cultural inquiry.

Dr. David Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. His current research examines the influence of Hebrew on the dialects of Arabic spoken in Israel. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationships between Middle East countries and militant organizations. David holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. Classics / Linguistics, an M.A. in Archaeology / Linguistics and an Honours B.A. in Classical Studies. David is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors, The Trudeau Prize, and is a world medalist in wrestling. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and 3 children.