Hoda Barakat

Her novel Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World was published in 2024 and won the Literature award at the 2025 Sheikh Zayed Book Award. Her works are originally written in Arabic and have been translated into English, Hebrew, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Romanian, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, and Greek. Her work often explores themes of trauma and war; three of her early novels are narrated by male characters living in the margins of society during the Lebanese civil war.

Hoda Barakat studied at Lebanese University. The recorded working language is Arabic. The field of work recorded is creative and professional writing, journalism and translating activity. Places of work recorded in the authority are Beirut and Paris. Residence is recorded at Paris. Distinctions recorded are Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, International Prize for Arabic Fiction and Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

• Name — Hoda Barakat هدى بركات • Birthplace — Lebanon • Born — 1952 • Occupation — writer, novelist

Barakat was raised in the Maronite Christian town of Bsharré, Lebanon. After moving to Beirut, Barakat studied French Literature at the Lebanese University, from which she graduated in 1975. In 1975 and 1976, she lived in Paris, where she worked towards a PhD, but she decided to return home when the Lebanese Civil War started. During this period, she worked as a teacher, translator, and journalist. In 1985, she released her first formal publication, a collection of short stories called Za'irat ("Women Visitors"). She moved back to Paris in 1989 and has lived there ever since, publishing her remaining works from Paris, including Hajar al-Dahik (The Stone of Laughter, 1990) and Ahl el-Hawa (People of Love, 1993), among others. In addition to writing, she has also worked in radio broadcasting. In 2004, she visited the United Kingdom on the first Banipal Live UK tour. Between 2010 and 2011, she was appointed as a fellow in Nantes Institute for Advanced Study Foundation. In fall 2013, Barakat was appointed the first Arabic Scholar in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin Middle Eastern Studies Program. She was also recently visiting professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College and Artist in Residence at the Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University.

She married the poet Mohammad El Abdallah (Arabic: محمد العبدالله), whom she met in college. She acquired French nationality by naturalization on 24 March 1998.

Hajar al-Dahik (1990), translated as The Stone of Laughter Ahl al-Hawa (1993), translated as Disciples of Passion Harith al-Miyah (1998), translated as The Tiller of Waters Sayyidi wa Habibi (2004) Malakut Hadhihi al-Ard (2012), translated as The Kingdom of This Earth Barid al-Layl (2018), translated as Voices of the Lost Hind, aw Ajmal Imra'a fi al-Alam (2024)