Rania Zaghir

The World of Rania Zaghir.

Rania Zaghir was born on 23 July 1977 in Beirut, Lebanon. The daughter of A. Zaghir and M. Fadel, her parents are both Syrian who emigrated to Lebanon in 1960. Aged ten, Zaghir moved with her family to Syria, escaping the Lebanese civil war. During that stay, she met her grandmother K. Rustom, who grew apple orchids. Zaghir has said that her grandmother’s love and respect to nature and animals made Zaghir decide to be an adamant vegetarian from an early age. This inspired her, later on, to write her book: Sisi Malaket Talbas Kharofan Wa Dodatayn.

Zaghir refers to her childhood years as happy despite the ongoing civil war. Her home life was characterized by strong family ties.[2]

She then became interested in Pop Arabic and Western music, listening to George Wassouf, Ragheb Alameh, George Michael, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.

Zaghir attended the same school from kindergarten to grade 12. Her first secondary school Arabic literature teacher, remembers her as "not exceptional".[3]

In 1995, Zaghir took the entrance exams for The Lebanese American University and got accepted. She earned a BA in Communication Arts. In 1999, she got accepted at the American University of Beirut. She graduated with MA in Educational Psychology. Zaghir recalls doing little work, preferring to read Amin Maalouf, Nazek Saba Yared, and Truman Capote.[4][5]

Zaghir’s books have earned her numerous awards. Lately, her book Haltabees Haltabees earned the Berlin International Literature Festival Book Award (The Extraordinary Book 2015).  She has also won the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures Award (2010), as well as Assabil (Friends of Public Libraries) 2009 Annual Award for Children’s Literature granted to her in recognition of her book “Sisi Malakit Talbas Kharofan wa Dodatayn” (Al Khayyat Al Saghir Publishing House - The Little Tailor). This book has been translated into Italian and published by Serendapita, while “Lamma Balatet el Baher” has been translated into Korean and “Man Lahasa Karna il Booza” into 19 languages and is published by Edition Orient – Berlin.[8]

She is also the co-founder and curator of the International biannual children’s literature conference known as: What a Story![9][10]

In 2013, She established a national book charity: Libraries of Hope.[11]

In 2007, Zaghir founded Al Khayyat Al Saghir Publishing House.

Ms. Zaghir wants children to be able to immerse themselves in foreign cultures via all kinds of media such as books, phone Applications, TV programs and movies without being shocked, overwhelmed, and otherwise submissively or negatively affected.[12]

Finally, Rania Zaghir adopts the latest techniques of illustration.[13]

Zaghir’s books have earned her numerous awards

Beirut earned the Beirut BookFair Best Children’s Book Award in 2016.

Haltabees Haltabees earned the Berlin International Literature Festival Book Award (The Extraordinary Book 2015).

The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures Award (2010).

Assabil (Friends of Public Libraries) 2009 Annual Award for Children’s Literature granted to her in recognition of her book “Sisi Malakit Talbas Kharofan wa Dodatayn” (Al Khayyat Al Saghir Publishing House - The Little Tailor).[14][15]

• Official website