Ali Ahmad Said Esber (Adonis)

Adonis (Arabic: أدونيس; full name Ali Ahmad Said Esber, born 1 January 1930) is a Syrian-born poet, essayist, literary critic, translator, and editor who became one of the most influential figures in modern Arabic literature. He is widely regarded as a leader of the modernist and avant-garde movements in Arabic poetry, often compared to T.S. Eliot in the Arab world

Early Life and Education

Born in Al Qassabin, near Latakia, Syria, to a modest Alawite farming family, Adonis had limited formal schooling as a child. His father taught him to read and memorize classical Arabic poetry. At 14, he recited a poem to then-Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli, who offered him a scholarship to attend a French lycée in Tartus. He later studied at Damascus University, earning a BA in philosophy in 1954, and later a PhD in Arabic literature from Saint Joseph University in Beirut in 1973

Awards and Recognition

Adonis has received numerous honors, including:

• Bjørnson Prize (2007)
• Goethe Prize (2011)
• First International Nâzim Hikmet Poetry Award
• Syria-Lebanon Best Poet Award
• Elected member of the Stéphané Mallarmé Academy in Paris (1983)