Maher Sharafeddine

was born in Sweida in the south of Syria. He  spent most  of his childhood and youth living in Hasaka  region. In 1999, he travelled to Beirut and he has been living there  since.  That same year, his first book of poems, The Failed Painter, was published in a small edition which he distributed by hand.  In 2001 his anthology Hamurabi's Secret Supplement was  printed in a limited edition of fifty copies. He worked as  a writer and a critic for Annahar newspaper’s daily literary supplement from 2003 to 2007. In 2004 his third book of  poems, The Chapter of Fatima, was published by Dar Mukhtarat. His novel, My Father the Ba’athist, excerpted in Banipal 32, was published in 2005 by Dar Al-Jadid.  In 2006 and during the Israeli war  on Lebanon, he married Lebanese poet Zeineb Assaf. In January 2007 Sharafeddine and his wife founded the journal Naqd [Critic] which deals with criticism of modern Arabic poetry. That same year his fourth book of poetry, The Bride, was published by Dar Al-Jamal.  On 1 March 2008, he and his wife launched the poetry journal Al-Ghawoun. He lives and works in Beirut.