Muhammad Sa'id al-Sakkar

He published over 14 books of poetry, theatre, short story, linguistics, art, and other disciplines. He is arguably the most distinguished Iraqi artist-calligrapher in the 21st century. Al-Saggar died in Paris on March 23, 2014.

• Name — Muhammad Sa'id Saggar • Born — 25 April 1934 • Birthplace — Miqdadiyah, Iraq • Place of death — Paris, France • Occupation — Poet and calligrapher • Organization — Union of Iraqi Writers

al-Saggar was born in 1934 in Miqdadiyah, east of Baghdad, but grew up in Basra, a governate in southern Iraq. Basra remained visible in al-Saggar's works, starting with his first poetry collection Rain (1962) and An Orange in the Surah of Water (1968), as well as his many paintings, which made him a prominent present-day calligrapher and artisan. The Iraqi artist has resided in France since 1978; he chose it when he was forced into exile and had more time to work on his art works in his studio. In his long professional career, al-Saggar practiced journalism as an editor, calligrapher, and designer since 1955.

His collections of poetry include: • Rain; 1962 • An Orange in the Surah of Water; 1968 • The Complete Works of Poetry • A Collection in French; 1995 His publications include: • Arabic Calligraphy for Youth • The Days of Abd al-Haqq al-Baghdadi • The Pen and What Has Been Written • The Plight of Mahmoud al-Shahid