Poetry Reading Features Marwan Makhoul, Alaa’ Azzam

On December 10, 2013, Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul presented an evening of verse at Birzeit University. The artist Alaa’ Azzam gave a musical performance blended with Makhoul’s poetry.

Dean of Student Affairs Mohammad Al-Ahmad noted that hosting Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul comes out of a belief in the role of Palestinian youth in presenting their distinctive experiences.

Makhoul is one of the most prominent young Palestinian poets, whose many of his collections have been translated to nearly ten languages.  He was born in 1979 in the village Boquai'a in Upper Galilee, a village that remains unrecognized by the Israeli government as it was built after the 1948 Nakba. Makhoul was born to a Palestinian father and Lebanese mother, and grew up in a family struggling to confirm the presence of his home village.

The poetry reading evening was organized by the Activities Office at the Deanship of Student Affairs and was held at Martyr Kamal Nasir Hall.