Hanna Mina

Hanna Mina was a Syrian novelist, described as the country's most prominent writer. His early novels belong to the movement of social realism, and focus on class conflict; his later works contain a more symbolic analysis of class differences. His writing on the suffering of ordinary people was partly inspired by his own experiences, alternately working as a stevedore, barber and journalist. Several of his works are set during the period of the French Mandate of Syria, or in the period immediately following independence. He co-founded the Syrian Writers Federation in 1951 and later became the editor in-chief of al-Inshaa newspaper. He authored about 40 novels, varying in imaginary value and narrative significance. But his achievement lies in the foundation he laid for this literary structure. For his collective works and novels, Mina was awarded the Arab Writer's Prize in 2005. He died on 21 August 2018 in Damascus, aged 94.