Rafik Schami

Rafik Schami (Arabic: رفيق شامي) (born Suheil Fadel (سهيل فاضل) 23 June 1946) is a Syrian-German author, storyteller and critic. Born in Syria in 1946, Schami is the son of a baker from a Christian Aramean (Syriac) family. His family originated from the town of Maaloula. After attending a monastery boarding school in Lebanon, he studied chemistry, mathematics, and physics in Damascus. In 1970, he left Syria for Lebanon to evade censorship and the military draft; the following year, he moved to Germany. There, Schami continued his studies in chemistry while working odd jobs, obtaining a doctorate in 1979.

From 1965, Schami began writing stories in Arabic. From 1964 to 1970, he was the co-founder and editor of the wall news-sheet Al-Muntalak (The Starting-Point) in the old quarter of Damascus. Later in Germany, in his spare time, he co-founded the literary group Südwind in 1980 and was part of the PoLiKunst movement. Schami became a full-time author in 1982. He currently lives in the city of Kirchheimbolanden with his Bavarian wife and son and he holds dual citizenship. Schami's books have been translated into 29 languages.