Joumana Haddad
Personal information
Joumana Haddad
Author, Public Speaker, Journalist, and Women’s Rights Activist
Contact information (Work)
Al Hurra TV station
Community/Lebanon Impact
Joumana Haddad, born on December 6, 1970, in Beirut, Lebanon, is a multifaceted figure who has made significant contributions as an author, public speaker, journalist, and human rights activist. Her cultural and social activism has earned her recognition as one of the world’s 100 most powerful Arab women by Arabian Business magazine.
Haddad’s impact extends beyond her literary endeavors. She founded Jasad, a quarterly Arabic-language magazine dedicated to the arts and literature of the body, which ran from 2009 to 2011. In 2018, she launched a television show on Alhurra, focusing on topics of free expression and critical thinking. Additionally, in September 2019, she established the Joumana Haddad Freedoms Center, a youth-centered NGO based in Beirut.
In February 2020, in collaboration with the Institut Français in Lebanon, Haddad co-organized the inaugural International Feminisms Festival in the Middle East, featuring a diverse group of local and international co-organizers.
Social Media
Education
Education:
- Doctorate Degree candidate, Comparative Literature, Institute of Oriental Studies, Saint Joseph University, Lebanon.
- Master's Degree, Translation, 2000-2006, Kaslik University, Lebanon.
- Teaching Degree, Italian Language, 2003, University of Siena, Italy.
- Bachelor Degree, Biology, 1988-1992, Lebanese University, Lebanon.
Work history
Previous Professions:
- Co-Founder and Managing Partner, since 2024, Cafebrairie33 Beirut.
- Professor, since 2012, American University of Beirut.
- Founder and Editor-in-Chief, since 2009, "Jasad" magazine.
- Cultural Page Editor, since 2005, An-Nahar newspaper.
- Administrative Coordinator, 2007-2011, International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF).
- Journalist, 1997-2005, An-Nahar newspaper.
- TV journalist and host, 2018-present, Al Hurra TV station.
- Instructor, 2012-2016, Lebanese American University.
- Cultural Editor, 2005-2017, An-Nahar newspaper.
Major Achievements
Publications (Books, Articles, Reports, etc.):
- Haddad, J. (2012). Superman is an Arab. United Kingdom: Westbourne Press.
- Haddad, J. (2004). awdat Lilit [Lilith's return]. Lebanon: Arab Scientific Publishers.
- Haddad, J. (2006). Suhbat lusous annar [In the company of the fire thieves]. Lebanon: Dar An Nahar.
- Haddad, J. (2007). Sayaji'u al-mawtu wa takunu lahu aynaki: mi'a wa khamsun shairan intaharu fi al-qarn al-ishreen [Death will come and it will have your eyes: anthology of 150 poets who committed suicide in the twentieth century]. Lebanon: Arab Scientific Publishers.
- Haddad, J. (2010). I killed Scheherazade. United Kingdom: Saqi Books.
Accomplishments
Distinctions:
- Was listed on the "Beirut-39" list for being one of the 39 most interesting Arab writers under 39, 2009.
- Selected yearly as one of the world’s 100 most powerful Arab women for four years in a row by Arabian Business Magazine.
Awards:
- Recipient of the "Rodolfo Gentile" Award for her defense of women's rights, 2010.
- Recipient of the "Blue Metropolis Arab Literary Award" during the Montreal International Literary Festival from the Blue Metropolis Foundation, for her literary achievements, 2010.
- Recipient of the "North-South" International Award from the Pescarabruzzo Foundation for her poetic works, 2009.
- Recipient of the "Beirut 39" Award for being chosen as one of the most prominent Arab writers under the age of thirty-nine, 2009.
- Recipient of the "Arab Press" Award for her achievements in the field of cultural journalism, 2006.
- Received the "Career Poetry Prize" by the Archicultura Foundation in Acquiterme, Italy, 2014.
- Received the Cutuli Prize for journalism in Catania, Italy, 2012.
Competences & Skills
Field(s) of Expertise:
- Women Rights
- Freedom of expression
- Personal liberties
- Literature
Languages:
- Arabic
- French
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
- German
- Armenian