Elias Khoury was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1948. He has written 11 novels, four volumes of literary criticism, and three plays. His commitment to Palestinian human rights began when he visited a refugee camp in Jordan at age 19. Khoury has since devoted his energies to the Palestine Research Centre in Beirut. He is the editor-in-chief of the cultural supplement of Beirut's daily An-Nahar, and is a Global Distinguished professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU. In 1998, Khoury was awarded the Palestine Prize for Gate of the Sun, and in 2000, the novel was named Le Monde Diplomatique's Book of the Year.

Recent articles

"Literature is the way to deal with the human soul, to deal with our perception of life." Gate of the Sun, Elias Khoury's highly acclaimed epic novel is among the very first and few to address the modern history of Palestine. What inspired him to write it, and what are his hopes for peace in the Arab world? Listen to Elias Khoury's three-part interview with Brían Hanrahan.