Biography سÙرة - Jad el Hage جاد اÙØاج
JAD EL HAGE Roger Antoine Place of birth : Beirut – Lebanon Date of birth : 1946 Email : [email protected] ! ! Degrees International College accountancy diploma 1966 English as foreign language, Cambridge course 1982 ! Journalism First articles on Literature and Theater published 1968 • An-Nahar –Lissan Alhal, Al Jadid Beirut, Lebanon ! First radio position • The beginning of the Talk Show Lebanon’s National Radio December 1968 ! First assignment abroad • The student revolution in Paris Spring 1968 ! Traveling Reporter • An-Nahar, Al-Jadid 1968 – 1972 ! Editor • An-Nahar – regional news 1973 – 1975 ! Features Editor • Ad Dastour – weekly magazine – Lebanon 1975 – 1977 • Ad Dastour – weekly magazine – London, UK 1977 – 1982 • Al Hayat – Newspaper – London, Beirut. 1991 - 2011 ! Theater critic • BBC – Arabic service – London, UK 1977 – 1982 ! Senior editor • Harlequin Arab World – Athens, Greece 1982 –1985 ! ! Publications • First poems published in An-Nahar and Lisan al Hal 1966 – 1967 ! Poetry collections • “The Train of Coincidence” Dar Alkateb Alarabi/ Beirut 1973 • “26 Poems” Dar Annahar/ Beirut 1979 • “The Third Book” Dar Majallat Shi’r/ Beirut 1981 • “One of These” Fire Thief Publications/ Athens 1984 • “Darej” (vernacular prose and poetry)/ Sydney 1990 “Khamsa” Dar Assurat/ London 1993 • “When… and her Sisters”/ Bissan/Beirut 1996 • 30 TALES , Bissan, Beirut 2011 ! Short stories • “Our Lady of the Rocks”/ Sydney 1989 • “Thirty Tales”/ Bissan/ Beirut 2011 Novels in Arabic • “The Green and the Dry”/ Smiley Publications/Sydney 1987 Novels in English • “The Last Migration” Panache Books/Sydney 2002 • “The Myrtle Tree” Banipal/ London 2007 • “One Day in April” Quartet/London 2011 ! Plays • “The Trial of the Almond Merchant” Festival Deir Elkal’a 1976 • “Pigeon Flight” Sydney-Almoultaca 1991 • “The Chair” (adapted from the French by Paul Andre Antoine) 1999 • “Bint Asl” (one woman show based on Medea; Theatre Monot/ Beirut) 2002 • “A Wedding and a Funeral” (musical) 2011 ! Details Journalism & Publishing ! Between 1966 and 1968 I was learning journalism from the bottom up; working part time as proof reader for Lissan Elhal, while writing articles under the supervision and guidance of Adonis and Said Akl who were part of editorial team at the time. In 68: Paris: First assignment for Annahar; living in the middle of the action, in a small hotel up rue Gay Lussac; I had the chance to witness and report on la revolution des etudiants field interviewing Aragon, Sartre, Bendit and others. From Paris I flew to Chicago for two weeks where I reported on the drug soaked Beat generation, translating parts of Bob Dylan’s songs and Ginsberg’s poetry. I also wrote for Annahar’s weekly supplement about the Black Panthers, Martin Luther King, Elijah Mohammed, and Malcolm X. At the end of 68 I began with Raymond Jbara the first direct talk show in Lebanon’s National Radio while still freelancing for Annahar. Back on the road across Europe, I continued writing for both Annahar’s weekly supplement and Aljadid weekly magazine, mainly on theatre, books and the arts. 1973 Annahar began publishing Nahar Almanatek, it assigned me full time to roam the heartland, reporting and interviewing. 1975 Nahar Almanatek ceased publication due to the civil unrest. I took the position of feature editor at Addastour weekly magazine and traveled with it in 1977 first to Paris then to London where we remained an offshore publication until 1982, covering cultural events throughout Europe and the Arab world including cinema, theatre festivals, art exhibitions, and various conferences. BBC Arab world Radio broadcasted my theatre coverage during that period. In 1983 I became Senior Editor of Harlequin Arab World, in Athens. We published popular romantic and historic books for a trans-Arab readership translated from English. This venture marked the first and last advanced commercial book publishing in the Arab world, rotating 16 books every month and covering the entire map of the Arab world. It ended when Saudi censorship banned the books cutting 44% of the company’s sales in one blow. End 1985, I immigrated with my family to Australia. From there I continued writing for various publications, mainly Annahar. But concentrated on finishing a novel, a selection of short stories, and a book of vernacular poetry and prose. (above mentioned) Back to London in 1991, I took Alhayat’s offer as features editor. Until 2000 I covered Asia, Africa, Europe living in a suitcase, concentrating on cultural events, especially in Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, and Europe. In 2001 Alhayat moved most of its staff to Beirut where I continued writing, reporting, and editing a weekly supplement, until February 2011. !
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