Back to Winners

Cultural Personality of the Year 2020

Salma Khadra Jayyusi

Jordan/Palestine

 Cultural Personality of the Year 2020 was awarded to Palestinian poet, writer, translator and anthologist Salma Khadra Jayyusi for her profound contribution to Arabic literature and culture. Jayyusi’s scholarly career spans the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon, Sudan and the USA, where she has lived and worked. She is the founder and director of East-West Nexus and the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA). Jayyusi has also edited indispensible anthologies of Arabic literature, including Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthology; Modern Arabic Poetry; and The Legacy of Muslim Spain, among others.

About the Cultural Personality of the Year

Salma Khadra Jayyusi is author of Trends and Movements in Modern Arabic Poetry and editor of Literature of Modern Arabia, as well as Modern Arabic Poetry, Modern Palestinian Literature, and The Legacy of Muslim Spain. The winner of many prestigious awards, including the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural and Scientific Achievement Award, the Edward Said Award for Career Excellence, and an award from the State of Kuwait for distinguished services to Arab and Islamic culture, Jayyusi is the founder and director of East-West Nexus, dedicated to scholarly work on Arabic civilization and cultural achievements, and the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA).

Interview with

Salma Khadra Jayyusi

Play Video