Taissier Khalaf


Taissier Ahmad Khalaf,, is a Syrian-Palestinian novelist, critic and researcher. He has written over 50 books including his novels The Slaughter of the Philosophers and The Andalusian Messiah that were both nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Career

Khalaf studied media and graduated from the University of Damascus in 1993. He started writing novels and joined the Arab Writers Union. He was also interested in historic research and produced several works focusing on Arab history, the Levant and especially Palestine. His historical research works include an edition of Mawāniḥ al-uns bi-riḥlatī li-Wādī al-Quds by 18th century traveler Al-Luqaimi, which describes Jerusalem under Ottoman rule; a history of the Golan Heights based on the writings of Arab historians, and a research regarding the authenticity of Abu [Khalil Qabbani]'s journey to the United States in the late 19th century.
In literature, Khalaf utilized historical events in many of his novels; The Slaughter of the Philosophers, which was nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, has the Roman conquest of Palmyra and the life of Queen Zenobia in Rome as a background for the protagonist, but the novel focuses more on the philosophical life of Palmyra rather than the political history. His 2024 novel The Andalusian Messiah takes place in 16th-century al-Andalus after the Christian reconquista, when Muslims were forcibly converted to Christianity. It was nominated for the 2025 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
As of 2017, Khalf resides in Dubai.

Selected publications

Historical research

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