Soraya Antonius (November 4, 1932 – January 12, 2017) was a Palestinian author, journalist, editor, publisher, curator and filmmaker.[1][2]

Soraya Antonius
Born(1932-11-04)November 4, 1932
Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
DiedJanuary 12, 2017(2017-01-12) (aged 84)
Beirut, Lebanon
EducationSlade School of Fine Art
OccupationsAuthor, journalist, editor, publisher, curator, filmmaker
Parents

Life and career

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Soraya Antonius was born on November 4, 1932, in Jerusalem, then the capital of Mandatory Palestine.[3] She was the only child of the Lebanese author and diplomat George Antonius, and the socialite, hostess, and philanthropist Katy Nimr.[4] After attending Cheltenham Ladies' College in Gloucestershire, England, and the Slade School of Fine Art in London, she lived for many years in Beirut, Lebanon.[citation needed]

In Beirut she worked as a journalist, editor, publisher, and curator. A founding member of the Fifth of June Society, organized to educate journalists and the general public about Palestine,[5] she wrote and produced a documentary film about the Palestinian revolution, Resistance – Why? (1971), directed by Christian Ghazi. She was also the author of two novels, The Lord (1986) and Where the Jinn Consult (1987).[4][6][7]

Antonius died on January 12, 2017, in Beirut.[3]

Publications

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  • Antonius, Soraya (1987). Where the Jinn Consult. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 9780241123676.[8][9]
  • Antonius, Soraya (1988). The Lord (1st American ed.). New York City, NY: H. Holt. ISBN 9780805004779.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

References

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  1. Osheroff, Eli (March 2026). "Eli Osheroff spotlight: Soraya Antonius's Arab Awakening". Jacob Robinson Institute.
  2. "Palestinian Arabs forgotten, people makes selves felt". The Sun Times. Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. July 8, 1970. p. 4 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "ثريا أنطونيوس Obituary". Khoolood (in Arabic). January 12, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Bar-Yosef, Eitan; Osheroff, Eli (January 2, 2024). "Soraya Antonius's Arab awakening: Palestinian identity, activism, and Anglophone literature". Contemporary Levant. 9 (1): 50–67. doi:10.1080/20581831.2024.2348920. ISSN 2058-1831.
  5. Slonim, Reuben (December 1, 1969). "Middle East today... a view from both sides". Finger Lakes Times. Geneva, New York. p. 14 via Newspapers.com.
  6. Colla, Elliot (December 5, 2025). "This classic Palestinian novel unearths a largely ignored history". The Washington Post.
  7. Dabbagh, Selma (November 14, 2025). "Soraya Antonius's Portrait of a Lost Palestine". The Paris Review. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  8. Dalrymple, William (March 10, 2026). "Shades of Beak Street". Literary Review.
  9. Williams, Ian (October 30, 1987). "Where typing killed the sounds of guns". The Independent. London, Greater London, England. p. 16 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "The Lord". New York Review Books. December 2, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  11. Ellison, Jane (March 26, 1986). "New Novels". Evening Standard (book review). London, Greater London, England. p. 23.
  12. Hodge Hall, Barbara (February 14, 1988). "Antonius' 'The Lord' lacks focus". The Anniston Star (book review). Anniston, Alabama. p. 34 via Newspapers.com.
  13. Stace, Christopher (April 11, 1986). "Recent Fiction". The Daily Telegraph (book review). London, Greater London, England. p. 13.
  14. Richards, Jeffrey (March 20, 1988). "Fiction that's fresh, fiction that's flat". The News and Observer (book review). Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 80 via Newspapers.com.
  15. Connelly, Bridget (April 24, 1988). "Miss Alice and the Palestinians". The Los Angeles Times (book review). p. 318.
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