Vénus Khoury-Ghata

Of Turkish-Lebanese origin,[1] she is the daughter of the a soldier that speaks French and a mother that was a peasant. She is the older sister of the author May Menassa. In 1959, she participated in the pageant of Miss Beirut and won, becoming Miss Beirut 1959. To escape the war in Lebanon she immigrates to France and marries french researcher and doctor Jean Ghata. She has lived in Paris since 1972 and has published several novels and collections of poems.[4]Her daughter Yasmine Ghata also became a writer.[5][6]

Venus Khoury-Ghata undertook literary studies at L'École Supérieur Des Lettres de Beirut. She publishes her first literary collection in 1966 and 1967 "Terres Stagnantes", "Chez Seghers", and then in 1971 she publishes her first novel "Les Inadaptés". In her novels, the author always puts a women in as the main character that is the center of attention while the man is represented with a pejorative perspective. The man is responsible for the sins that surround the women.

In 2009, she receives the grand prix de poésie of the French Academy and the prix Goncourt de la poésie in 2011.

In 2018, she become a member of the Parliament of French-speaking writers alongside of Sedef Ecer, Paula Jacques et Khadi Hane and many more.

• 1980 Prize Apollinaire for "Les ombres et leurs cris",
• 1987 Prize Mallarmé for "Un Faux pas du soleil",
• 1992 Grand Prix de la Société des gens de lettres for Fables pour un people d’argile,[7]
• Prize Jules Supervielle for "Anthologie personnelle",
• Prize Baie des anges for "Le moine, l'ottoman et la femme du grand argentier"
• 2011 Prize of Goncourt for Poetry, for all her works
• 2012 Poetry Prize Pierrette Micheloud for "Où vont les arbres?"

• Les visages inachevés, (Unfinished faces ) 1966
• Les inadaptés, (The Maladjusted ones) novel, Le Rocher,1971
• Au Sud du silence, (South of Silence) poems, Saint Germain des Prés, 1975
• Terres stagnantes, (Stagnant Lands) poems, Seghers
• Dialogue à propos d’un Christ ou d’un acrobate, (Dialogue about a Christ or an acrobat) novel, Les Editeurs Français Réunis, 1975
• Alma, cousue main ou Le Voyage immobile, (Alma, Sewed Hand or the Immobile Trip) R. Deforges, 1977
• Les ombres et leurs cris, (Shadows and their Screams) poems, Belfond, 1979
• Qui parle au nom du jasmin ?, (Who Talks in the Name of Jasmine?) Les Editeurs Français Réunis, 1980
• Le fils empaillé, (The Stupid Son) Belfond, 1980
• Un faux pas du soleil, (Sun Mistake) poems, Belfond, 1982
• Vacarme pour une lune morte, (Muddle for a Dead Moon) novel, Flammarion, 1983
• Les morts n’ont pas d’ombre, (Words Have No Shadows) novela Flammarion, 1984
• Mortemaison, (Deathhouse) novel, Flammarion, 1986
• Monologue du Mort, (Monologue of a Dead Man) novel, Belfond, 1986
• Leçon d’arithmétique au grillon, (Lesson about Arithmetic for a Cricket) poems for children, Milan, 1987
• Bayarmine, novel, Flammarion, 1988
• Les fugues d’Olympia, (Escapes from Olumpus) novel, Régine Deforges/Ramsay, 1989
• Fables pour un peuple d’argile, Un lieu sous la voûte, Sommeil blanc, (Fables for Clay People,A Place under the Vault, White Dream) poems, Belfond, 1992
• La maîtresse du notable, (the Command of the Remarkable Man) novel, Seghers, 1992
• Les fiancés du Cap-Ténès, (Cap-Ténès’ Fiancés) novel, Lattès, Lattès 1995
• Anthologie personnelle, (Personal Anthology) poems, Actes Sud, 1997
• La maestra, (The Teacher)1996, collection Babel, 2001
• Une maison au bord des larmes, (A House at the Tearside) novel, Balland, 1998, Babel 2005
• Privilège des morts, (Privilege of Dead) novel, Balland, 2001
• Elle dit, Les sept brins de chèvrefeuille de la sagesse, (She Says,Seven Blades of Wisdom Honeysuckle) poems, Balland, 1999
• La voix des arbres, (Voice of Trees) poems for children Cherche-Midi, 1999
• Compassion des pierres, (Compassion of Stones) poemas, La Différence, 2001
• Zarifé la folle, (Mad Zarifé) François Jannaud, 2001
• Alphabets de sable, (Sand Alphabets) poems, illustrated by Matta, tirage limité, Maeght, 2000
• Le Fleuve, Du seul fait d’exister, (The River,The Simple Fact of Existing) with Paul Chanel Malenfant, Trait d’Union, 2000.
• Ils, (They) poems, Amis du musée d’art moderne, 1993
• Version des oiseaux, (Bird Version) poems, illustrated by Velikovic, François Jannaud, 2000
• Le Moine, l’ottoman et la femme du grand argentier, (The Monk, The Ottoman Man and The Eminent Algerian’s Wife) novel, Actes Sud, 2003
• Quelle est la nuit parmi les nuits, (Which is the Night of Nights) Mercure de France, 2004
• Six poèmes nomades, (Six Nomad Poemas) with Diane de Bournazel, Al Manar, 2005
• La Maison aux orties, (Nettle House) Actes Sud, 2006
• Sept pierres pour la femme adultère, (Seven Stones for Adulterous Women) roman, Mercure de France, 2007

• (in French) Biographie et bibliographie
• "Vénus Khoury-Ghata: in conversation with Corinna Hasofferett", Jacket 18