Rafik Schami
His father worked as a baker. Fadél later adopted the stage name Rafik Schami. While attending school in the Syrian capital, Schami showed literary inclinations by writing for a school newspaper. In 1964 he was involved in founding the wall newspaper "Al-Muntalak", which was displayed in the old town of his hometown. Schami worked as a writer and senior editor for "Al-Muntalak" until 1970. In 1971, Schami emigrated to the Federal Republic of Germany, where he began studying chemistry and pharmacology, which he successfully completed with a doctorate in 1979.
During his studies, Schami got by with odd jobs in the service sector and in the construction business. After completing his studies, he initially worked as a chemist in industry. In addition to studying and working, Schami continued to cultivate his literary talent. From 1971 to 1977 he published essays and stories in magazines and anthologies. His first German-language book was published in 1978 under the title "Fairy Tale". But it wasn't until 1982 that Schami was able to turn his back on work in the chemical industry and only work as a freelance writer.
As early as 1980, he co-founded the author and literary associations "südwind" and "PoLiKunst", for whose series "südwind-gastarbeiterdeutsch" and "südwind-literatur" he worked as co-editor and author in the first half of the 1980s. With titles such as "Stories from Foreign Countries", but also his numerous oriental-tinged fairy tales and fables, Schami subsequently became an important representative of the literature of migrant workers in the Federal Republic. He enriched this genre with his unique narrative concept, which combines traditional oriental elements with current political issues of the time to create stories and tales about the little people next door.
In numerous public readings, the author presented his work to a growing audience, with whom he was able to establish personal contact. In 1987, the novel "A Hand Full of Stars", which was interspersed with autobiographical elements and dealt with his own youthful fate under the constraints of Arab society, attracted particular attention. "The Honest Liar. Novel of a Thousand and One Lies" also met with a great response in 1992. In the same year "The Flying Tree", a collection of his best fairy tales and fables, was published. Further successful milestones in Schami's literary work were the 1997 novel "Milad - From one who set out to be full for twenty-one days" and the 2000 adventure novel "The Longing of the Swallow".
Against the background of the violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorists that flared up again with the beginning of the so-called Second Intifada in autumn 2000, Schami also spoke out on these current political issues. In 2001 he published the anthology "Fear in Your Own Country," in which Israeli and Palestinian writers comment on the Middle East conflict. In 2002 he published the book "With Strange Eyes", which impressively documents his personal notes and reflections on the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 and the Middle East conflict. Schami's novel "The Dark Side of Love" was published at the 2004 Frankfurt Book Fair, which had "Arabia" as the main theme.
The author addresses the difficult conditions that can stand in the way of an unconventional love relationship in Arab society. Schami has been awarded several literary prizes. The Robert Bosch Foundation awarded him the Adalbert von Chamisso Sponsorship Prize in 1985 and 1993, followed a year later by the Thaddäus Troll Prize. In 1987 he was awarded the Zurich Children and Youth Prize. In addition to other awards, he received the Hermann Hesse Prize in 1994. In 2003 he was honored with the Rhineland-Palatinate Art Prize. In 2007, Schami was awarded the Nelly Sachs Prize.
Schami is married and has a son.
During his studies, Schami got by with odd jobs in the service sector and in the construction business. After completing his studies, he initially worked as a chemist in industry. In addition to studying and working, Schami continued to cultivate his literary talent. From 1971 to 1977 he published essays and stories in magazines and anthologies. His first German-language book was published in 1978 under the title "Fairy Tale". But it wasn't until 1982 that Schami was able to turn his back on work in the chemical industry and only work as a freelance writer.
As early as 1980, he co-founded the author and literary associations "südwind" and "PoLiKunst", for whose series "südwind-gastarbeiterdeutsch" and "südwind-literatur" he worked as co-editor and author in the first half of the 1980s. With titles such as "Stories from Foreign Countries", but also his numerous oriental-tinged fairy tales and fables, Schami subsequently became an important representative of the literature of migrant workers in the Federal Republic. He enriched this genre with his unique narrative concept, which combines traditional oriental elements with current political issues of the time to create stories and tales about the little people next door.
In numerous public readings, the author presented his work to a growing audience, with whom he was able to establish personal contact. In 1987, the novel "A Hand Full of Stars", which was interspersed with autobiographical elements and dealt with his own youthful fate under the constraints of Arab society, attracted particular attention. "The Honest Liar. Novel of a Thousand and One Lies" also met with a great response in 1992. In the same year "The Flying Tree", a collection of his best fairy tales and fables, was published. Further successful milestones in Schami's literary work were the 1997 novel "Milad - From one who set out to be full for twenty-one days" and the 2000 adventure novel "The Longing of the Swallow".
Against the background of the violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorists that flared up again with the beginning of the so-called Second Intifada in autumn 2000, Schami also spoke out on these current political issues. In 2001 he published the anthology "Fear in Your Own Country," in which Israeli and Palestinian writers comment on the Middle East conflict. In 2002 he published the book "With Strange Eyes", which impressively documents his personal notes and reflections on the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 and the Middle East conflict. Schami's novel "The Dark Side of Love" was published at the 2004 Frankfurt Book Fair, which had "Arabia" as the main theme.
The author addresses the difficult conditions that can stand in the way of an unconventional love relationship in Arab society. Schami has been awarded several literary prizes. The Robert Bosch Foundation awarded him the Adalbert von Chamisso Sponsorship Prize in 1985 and 1993, followed a year later by the Thaddäus Troll Prize. In 1987 he was awarded the Zurich Children and Youth Prize. In addition to other awards, he received the Hermann Hesse Prize in 1994. In 2003 he was honored with the Rhineland-Palatinate Art Prize. In 2007, Schami was awarded the Nelly Sachs Prize.
Schami is married and has a son.