Nadra Haddad

Nadra Haddad
Native name
ندرة حداد
BornOctober 30, 1881
Homs, Ottoman Syria
Died May 27, 1950(1950-05-27) (aged 68)
New York City, United States
OccupationWriter, journalist
RelativesAbd al-Masih Haddad (brother)
Jerrier A. Haddad (nephew)

Nadra Haddad (Arabic: ندرة حداد; 30 October 1881– 27 May 1950) was a Syrian poet, and a founding member of The Pen League, the first Arabic-language literary society in North America.[1][2]

Early life

Nadra was born on 30 October 1881 in Homs in Ottoman Syria to Rashid Haddad, a Syrian intellectual. He received his primary education at the city’s Greek Orthodox community school, and worked as a bookkeeper, before emigrating on 26 December 1897 to the United States while 17.[3]

Haddad settled in New York City, and worked in commerce, all the while writing poetry. He worked as chief editor of the Arabic language publication As-Sayeh (Arabic: السايح, "The Tourist"), that his brother Abdelmasih started. He later worked in banking.[4][5]

Works

Haddad is a founding member of The Pen League, the first Arabic-language literary society in North America.[6] The league was formed initially by Nasib Arida and by Nadra’s brother Abd al-Masih in 1916, and subsequently re-formed in 1920 by a larger group of Mahjari writers in New York led by Gibran Khalil Gibran.[7][8][9]

Haddad’s best known work is Diwan Awraq Al-Khareef (The book of Autumn Leaves).[10]

Death

Haddad died of a heart attack on 27 May 1950 during a wedding ceremony, after he had recited a poem congratulating the newlyweds.[11]

Personal life

Nadra married Hadbo Haddad and fathered three children, Robert, William, and Josette.[4]

Citations

  1. ^ Bushrui & Jenkins 2014, pp. 178, 190.
  2. ^ Qomeiha 2021, p. 25.
  3. ^ Qomeiha 2021, p. 25–26.
  4. ^ a b Qomeiha 2021, p. 26.
  5. ^ Zarkali 2002, p. 15.
  6. ^ Zeghidour 1982, p. 142.
  7. ^ Qomeiha 2021, p. 27.
  8. ^ Al-Funun 2000.
  9. ^ Katibah & Ziadeh 1946, p. 13.
  10. ^ Haddad 1941.
  11. ^ Qomeiha 2021, p. 28.

References

  • Al-Funun (2000). "al-Rabitah al-Qalamiyah (1916, 1920–1931)". www.al-funun.org. Archived from the original on 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  • Bushrui, Suheil; Jenkins, Joe (2014-10-01). Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poet. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78074-732-3.
  • Haddad, Nadra (1941). ديوان أوراق الخريف [The book of Autumn Leaves] (in Arabic). New York: Tobia Press. OCLC 7873248.
  • Katibah, H. I; Ziadeh, Farhat Jacob (1946). Arabic-speaking Americans. New York, N.Y.: The Institute of Arab American Affairs. OCLC 2794438.
  • Qomeiha, Hassan Ahmad (2021-05-02). ديوانُ الشَّاعِرِ المَهْجريّ نَدْرة حَدّاد [The works of Mahjari poet Nadra Haddad] (in Arabic).
  • Zarkali, Khay red-Din (2002). الأعلام (in Arabic). Vol. ج 8 : نافع بن ظريب - يوهنس. Beirut: Dar al`ilm lil Malayin.
  • Zeghidour, Slimane (1982). La poesie arabe moderne entre l'Islam et l'Occident (in French). Paris: Karthala. ISBN 978-2-86537-047-4. OCLC 924571139.