Etel Adnan, born in 1925 in Beirut, Lebanon, was an influential writer, poet, and visual artist. Of Greek and Syrian descent, she was educated in French schools in Lebanon and later studied philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris, followed by post-graduate studies at U.C. Berkeley and Harvard. From 1958 to 1972, she taught philosophy at Dominican College in California. Influenced by her solidarity with the Algerian independence movement, Adnan shifted from writing in French to visual art and later became known as an “American poet” after joining the poets’ movement against the Vietnam War.

In 1972, she returned to Beirut, working as a cultural editor for Al Safa and L’Orient le Jour. Her seminal novel, Sitt Marie-Rose, published in 1977, won the “France-Pays Arabes” award and became a classic of war literature, translated into over 10 languages.

Adnan’s poetry and prose are marked by surrealist imagery and experimental techniques that explore exile, injustice, and identity. Her artistic work spans painting, sculpture, and weaving, with exhibitions worldwide. Adnan wrote for two documentaries on the Lebanese civil war by Jocelyne Saab, which aired internationally. She served as president of RAWI, Radius of Arab-American Writers, Inc., and shared her life with partner and artist Simone Fattal. Etel Adnan passed away in November 2021, leaving a legacy as a profound voice in literature and visual arts.