Saadi Youssef

Saadi Youssef is considered one of the most important contemporary poets in the Arab world. He was born near Basra, Iraq. Following his experience as a political prisoner in Iraq, he spent most of his life in exile, working as a journalist and activist throughout North Africa and the Middle East. He was the author of over 30 books of poetry, including Nostalgia, My Enemy, translated by Sinan Antoon and Peter Money (2012) and Without an Alphabet, Without a Face: Selected Poems, translated by Khaled Mattawa (2002) both published by Graywolf Press. He also published two novels and a book of short stories. Youssef lived near London, where he was a leading translator of English literature into Arabic. He translated works by many major writers, including Walt Whitman, Federico García Lorca, C.P. Cavafy, Vasko Popa, and Giuseppe Ungaretti.

On June 12, 2021, Youssef died at his home in Harefield outside London.