Omar Youssef Souleimane
From 5 August to 3 September 2024

The Syrian journalist, poet and writer Omar Youssef Souleimane was born in 1987 in al-Qutayfah, a city north of Damascus. Forced to leave his native country, he settled in France, where he became a French citizen in 2022. He has been a columnist at several periodicals, including L’Express and Le Point. His work has earned him both the Prix du poète résistant and the Prix Amélie-Murat. His books in French include La mort ne séduit pas les ivrognes (L’Oreille du loup, 2013), Loin de Damas (Le Temps des cerises, 2016), L’enfant oublié (Signum, 2016) and, from Flammarion, Le petit terroriste (2018), Le dernier Syrien (2020), Une chambre en exil (2022), and Être français (2023). His most recent book, Damas je te salue, is slated for publication in 2024 (Le Castor Astral). The Last Syrian is available in English from Seagull Books (2024). Three of his poems are available online in English translation (https://www.asymptotejournal.com/special-feature/omar-youssef-souleimane-away-from-damascus/).