Samir (Moshe)
Naqqash was born in
Baghdad, Iraq, (the first child of six children) to a wealthy Jewish
family. He was sent to school at the age of 4, and started writing when
he was six years old. At the age of 13 he immigrated with his family to
Israel. His father's death at a young age, a couple of years latter,
affected him
deeply, and he was determined to leave the country and find himself.
From 1958 to 1962 he lived in Turkey, Iran and then India and again Iran. Difficulties he faced forced him to return to Israel. But all this time he never ceased writing in his native tongue, Arabic.
After his return to Israel he took various jobs, including a News Editor in the Arabic Department of Israel Broadcasting Station.
In the academic year of 1972/3 he started his studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, (curriculum vitae) and in 1978 he started his Doctorate work on the subject "Demons and Spirits and other metaphysical powers in the belief of the Baghdadi Jews, and their daily customs". After three years of fieldwork, information gathering and writing, the research was deferred since no expert in this subject was found in Israel.
His first book Al Khata (The Mistake) was published in 1971 and up till now he has published 13 books including novels, stories collections and plays.
He won three times the Prime Minister Prize for literature: in 1981 for his book Yawm Habalat Wa ajhadat Al Dunia (The Day in Which The World Was Conceived and Miscarried) which has been translated into Hebrew by his sister, Ruthy Naqqash, in 1985 - for his book A indama Taskutu Adla Al Muthalathat (When the Sides of Triangles fall), and in 1988 he was awarded the Sabbatical Prize for Creation for one year. His works are studied in three Universities in Israel and in Tanta University in Egypt. Master and Doctorate works about his literature were and are written in many countries such as Italy, England, Germany, the USA, Egypt, The Palastinian Authority, Israel and others.
Samir Naqqash is married and a father of a daughter and two sons. There are still novels, stories, short novels and research studies that he did not publish as yet.
Samir Naqqash will most welcome
offers to cooperate in the translation of his works
into other languages
To contact Samir
Naqqash
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