Fadhil Al Azzawi (Arabic: فاضل العزاوي ; born 1940 in Kirkuk, Iraq) is an Iraqi writer highly respected in the Arab world, as he has published seven volumes of poetry, six novels, three books of criticism and memoir, and several translations of German literary works. He participated in Iraq's avant-garde Sixties Generation, and his early controversial work was lauded with great enthusiasm.
He holds a BA in English Literature from Baghdad University, however Fadhil soon left Iraq in 1976, as the Baathist-controlled regime was becoming increasingly powerful. He later earned a doctorate in communications studies from Leipzig University. He has worked as a freelance journalist and translator for Arab newspapers and cultural reviews. He also founded the poetry magazine Shi’r 69.
He currently resides in Berlin, where he works as a full-time writer.
I confess that I have lived my life:
I tasted so many things
...
Do not light up a match in a forest
A bird is afraid of fire!
Do not sit in a sunrise
Someone might be looking for light!
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There's nothing easier than writing a magical poem
If you have strong nerves
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