Iman Mersal
was born November 1966 in Mansourah, Egypt. She began publishing poetry at age sixteen and has since published four collections: Ittisafat [Characterizations] in 1990, Mamarr Mu‘tim Yasluh li Ta‘allum al-Raqs [A Dark Passageway is Suitable for Learning to Dance] in 1995 and al-Mashy Atwal Waqt Mumkin [Walking As Long As Possible] in 1997. Her latest collection is Jiughrafia Badeela [Alternative Geography](2006).
In 1998, she moved to Boston and from there to Edmonton, Canada where she teaches Arabic language and literature at the University of Alberta. She is currently has one work in press: a co-translation of Waguih Ghali’s Beer in the Snooker Club.
These Are Not Oranges, My Love, a selection of her poetry translated into English by Khaled Mattawa, came out with Sheep Meadow Press, USA, in 2008.
Contributor's Issues
Banipal No 25 Spring 2006
Banipal No 10 Spring 2001/Summer 2001
Banipal No 31 Spring 2008
Banipal No 38 Arab American Authors
Latest News
06/02/2012At a celebration of literary translation on Monday 6 February at Kings Place, Khaled Mattawa will receive the 2011 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
[read more]03/02/2012
The Mosaic Rooms celebrates theartistic and poetic works of the great Syrian poet Adonis with talks and events from 3-8 February and an exhibition of Adonis's collages from 3 February until 30 March. The opening evening this Friday sees Adonis in conversation with Khaled Mattawa who is the winner of the 2011 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for his translation Adonis: Selected Poems.
[read more]16/01/2012
Khaled Mattawa wins the 2011 Saif Ghobash-Banipal Translation Prize for Adonis:Selected Poems
[read more]12/01/2012
Chair of IPAF Judges Georges Tarabichi announces the shortlist authors of the 2012 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
[read more]09/01/2012
Banipal Book Club's first book for discussion is The Tobacco Keeper by Ali Bader.
[read more]08/01/2012
Ibrahim Aslan, one of Egypt's best-loved authors, has died of heart failure at the age of 77.
[read more][read all news stories]