Ulfat Idlibi ( ''()'' or إلفة الإدلبي ''(Ilifat al-Idlibi)''; ) (November 1912,

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

– 21 March 2007,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) was a Syrian novel writer. She wrote books that became best sellers in the Arabic-speaking world, such as ''Dimashq ya Basimat el Huzn'' (''Damascus - the Smile of Sadness'', 1980), which was translated into many languages and aired as ''Basimat al Huzn'' (TV series).

Biography

Born in 1912, to a traditional Damascene family, she was married at the age of 17. She was affected by the French occupation of Syria (French Mandate, 1919), and educated herself by reading widely from the books in the library of her uncle, Kazem Dagestani, who was also an author. Idlibi began to write and publish stories about the area of Damascus called Al-Salihiyah in 1954. Her books tell of strong women. She wrote about the Syrian resistance movement, especially regarding the injustice of the aggressor and people who were involved in a struggle for their lives, freedom and the independence of their country (which was already exhausted by rule of

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

). Later she became a lecturer and wrote novels and essays on the social position of women in the Middle East, as well as on the pressure they undergo and the suffering they endure. Idlibi emphasized the theme of women often spending time in their own, non-existent worlds. She had a daughter and two sons. She spent the last decades of her life between Damascus and Paris, where she died in 2007.

Damascus - the Smile of Sadness

This is the most famous novel by Idlibi, telling a story about a girl who grows up in times of nationwide chaos (1920s), caused by the French occupation. She becomes more conscious of her national identity, which is hardly supported by her family, who is conservative and does not allow Sabriya to leave the house except to go to school. The story tells of the injustices and deprivations she undergoes, caused both by the French occupiers and by her family, along with the loss of her beloved and her vow never to forget him. It's been read as left by Sabriyeh (main character) in her diary, found after her death.

Bibliography

Novels

* "القرار الأخي" /'/ (1947) - "the Last Decision" * "قصص شامي" /'/ (1954) - "Levantine Stories" * "وداعاً يا دمشق" /'/ (1963) - "Goodbye, Damascus!" * "يضحك الشيطان" /'/ (1974) - "The Laugh of the Devil" * "نظرة في أدبنا الشعبي" /'/ (1974) - "Reflections on our Popular Literature" * "عصي الدمع" /'/ (1976) - "Mutiny of Tears" * "دمشق يا بسمة الحزن" /'/ (1981) - "Damascus - the Smile of Sadness" * "نفحات دمشقي" /'/ (1990) - "the Fragrances of Damascus" * "حكاية جدي" /'/ (1999) - "Story of My Grandfather"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Idlibi, Ulfat Rutul people 1912 births 2007 deaths Syrian emigrants to France Syrian women novelists Syrian novelists Writers from Damascus 20th-century novelists 20th-century Syrian women writers 20th-century Syrian writers 21st-century Syrian women writers 21st-century Syrian writers