Elias Khoury
Elias Khoury is a journalist and the author of eleven novels, including
Little Mountain,
Gates of the City, and
The Journey of Little Gandhi. First
published in 1998 in Arabic as
Bab al-Shams,
Gate of the Sun is Khoury’s most recent novel. A love story set against the
backdrop of the Palestinian Nakba – the ‘catastrophe’ of expulsion and
dispossession that took place in 1948,
Gate of the Sun was hailed by critics.
The New York Times Book Review called it a “genuine masterwork,” and made it
one of their Notable Books of the year in 2006, and Edward Said, author of
Orientalism, called it, “Brilliant.” “Humanity and compassion are what give
this rich and teeming narrative its shape, creating a work that in its essence
is a heartfelt plea for sanity and peace,” wrote a critic for
The Christian
Science Monitor. Mr. Khoury lives with his family in Beirut where he serves as
the editor in chief of the literary supplement of Beirut’s daily newspaper,
An-Nahar. He is also the Global Distinguished Professor of Middle Eastern and
Islamic Studies at New York University where he teaches every spring.
David Grossman
David Grossman is the author of two books of journalism, several children’s books,
a play, various essays and six novels including
Be My Knife,
Her Body Knows and
See Under: Love.
His work, which has been translated into 25 languages, examines adolescence, the human soul,
love and the Holocaust, as well as the tragedies and opportunities of contemporary Israeli-Palestinian
relations.
The Yellow Wind, Grossman’s journalist account of what he observed on the West Bank in
early 1987, is considered essential reading for anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of Israel today.
The
Los Angeles Times hailed it is as “the most honest, soul-searching book yet written by an
Israeli -- or, for that matter, a Palestinian -- on an agony that neither of them alone can bring to
an end.” Grossman has received numerous international awards for his writing, including Israel's Prime
Minister's Award, Valumbrosa Prize (Italy), Chevalier de l'Ordre des Artes des Lettres (France), Prix
Eliette Von Karajan (Austria) and Premio Ischia – International Award for Journalism (Italy). Grossman
lives in Jerusalem with his family.
