Sonia Nimr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonia Nimr
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| سونيا نمر | |
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| Born |
Jenin
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| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Occupation | Writer, oral historian, storyteller, ethnographer |
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Notable work
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| Awards |
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Sonia Nimr (Arabic: سونيا نمر) was born in 1955. She is a talented Palestinian writer, storyteller, and professor. She writes amazing stories for children and young people in both Arabic and English. She also shares traditional folk tales in everyday Arabic.
Sonia Nimr won the 2014 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature for her book Extraordinary Journeys to Unknown Places. This award is a big deal in children's literature! She is also a professor at Birzeit University, where she teaches about culture and ideas.
Contents
About Sonia Nimr
Sonia Nimr was born in a place called Jenin in 1955. She went to Birzeit University for her studies. While there, she became involved in student activities that aimed to bring about change. In 1975, she was held by authorities for three years because of her activism. During this time, she became very interested in writing stories for children.
Later, Sonia moved to the United Kingdom to continue her education. In 1990, she earned her PhD in Oral history from Exeter University. Oral history is about collecting and studying stories that people tell about their past. She started writing in 1986, while working at the Museum of Mankind in England. Her first stories were Palestinian folk tales, written in Arabic.
While living in the UK, Sonia met people with different ideas about Arab women. This experience inspired her to make many of her story heroes strong women and girls. She wanted to challenge old ideas and show how powerful Arab girls can be. Sonia says her mother taught her to love writing and to stand up for what's right. She believes that when women are free, it helps everyone.
Her Experiences and Writing
After returning home in 1990, Sonia Nimr was held again. She wrote her first two children's stories during this time, but they were taken away. Her experiences as an activist and being held by authorities have greatly influenced her writing. She uses her opportunities as a writer to talk about Palestine and places affected by conflict. She also speaks about the challenges faced by women who are held by authorities and how they showed strength.
Sonia writes in both English and Arabic. She sees her writing as a special mission for Palestinian children and all children living in difficult areas. She wants to help them use their imaginations and stay connected to their culture. When she works on folk tales, she tries to "rewrite" them for children. This is because these stories were originally for adults, but she keeps the "spirit, the magic" alive for young readers. Sometimes, her use of everyday language in her books caused discussions. Publishers often prefer a more formal Arabic so books can be sold in many different countries.
Famous Books and Awards
Sonia Nimr first became well-known for her 2003 book, A Little Piece of Ground. She wrote this book with Elizabeth Laird. It tells the story of the West Bank through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy. A Little Piece of Ground was first written in English. Then, it was translated into Arabic, several European languages, and even Japanese! It was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in the UK. It was also included in the 2004 IBBY Honour List, which recognizes excellent children's books.
Her 2004 book, The Story that Begins and Ends in Lies, also made it onto the IBBY Honour List. In 2007, Ghaddar the Ghoul and other Palestinian Stories was published in English.
Her next big international success was Wondrous Journeys to Strange Lands, which came out in 2013. This book was translated into many languages. It won the 2014 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature for Best Young Adult Book. It was also added to the 2014 IBBY Honour List. People have called this book a "feminist-fable-plus-historical-novel" that is great for all ages.
In 2017, the first book in a fantasy series for young adults was released. It's called Thunderbird. This book is a time-travel adventure about a girl named Noor and her friend Andaleeb from the 16th century. They try to reach Jerusalem and save the world. The English translation came out in 2020. Thunderbird was also short-listed for the 2017 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature. It won the Sharjah Children's Book Award in the Young Adult category in 2018. It was also short-listed for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
Sonia Nimr lives in Ramallah and continues to teach at Birzeit University.
Notable Works
Children and Young Adult Books
- A Little Piece of Ground (with Elizabeth Laird), 2003
- Rihlat Ajeeba Fi Al Bilad Al Ghareeba (Wondrous Journeys to Strange Lands), Tamer Institute 2013
- Qisah Awalha khayal wa Akherha Khyal (A Story that Begins and Ends with Lies), 2012
- Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, London 2007
- Thunderbird, Tamer Institute 2017
Awards and Recognition
- 2003 Carnegie Medal nomination for A Little Piece of Ground
- 2004 IBBY Honour List for A Little Piece of Ground
- 2014 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature Best Young Adult Book for Wondrous Journeys to Strange Lands
- 2014 IBBY Honor List for Wondrous Journeys to Strange Lands
- 2017 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature Shortlist for Best Young Adult Book for Thunderbird
- 2018 Sharjah Children's Book Award, Young Adults for Thunderbird
- 2018 Shortlist for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Thunderbird
See also
In Spanish: Sonia Nimr para niños
