Nadra Haddad (Arabic: ندرة حداد; 30 October 1881– 27 May 1950) was a Syrian poet, and a founding member of The Pen League, the first Arabic-language literary society in North America.^[1][2]

Early life

Nadra was born on 30 October 1881 in Homs in Ottoman Syria to Rashid Haddad, a Syrian intellectual. He received his primary education at the city’s Greek Orthodox community school, and worked as a bookkeeper, before emigrating on 26 December 1897 to the United States while 17.^[3]

Haddad settled in New York City, and worked in commerce, all the while writing poetry. He worked as chief editor of the Arabic language publication As-Sayeh (Arabic: السايح, "The Tourist"), that his brother Abdelmasih started. He later worked in banking.^[4][5]

Works

Haddad is a founding member of The Pen League, the first Arabic-language literary society in North America.^[6] The league was formed initially by Nasib Arida and by Nadra’s brother Abd al-Masih in 1916, and subsequently re-formed in 1920 by a larger group of Mahjari writers in New York led by Gibran Khalil Gibran.^[7][8][9]

Haddad’s best known work is Diwan Awraq Al-Khareef (The book of Autumn Leaves).^[10]

Death

Haddad died of a heart attack on 27 May 1950 during a wedding ceremony, after he had recited a poem congratulating the newlyweds.^[11]

Personal life

Nadra married Hadbo Haddad and fathered three children, Robert, William, and Josette.^[4]

Citations

References

• Al-Funun (2000). "al-Rabitah al-Qalamiyah (1916, 1920–1931)". www.al-funun.org. Archived from the original on 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
• Bushrui, Suheil; Jenkins, Joe (2014-10-01). Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poet. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78074-732-3.
• Haddad, Nadra (1941). ديوان أوراق الخريف [The book of Autumn Leaves] (in Arabic). New York: Tobia Press. OCLC 7873248.
• Katibah, H. I; Ziadeh, Farhat Jacob (1946). Arabic-speaking Americans. New York, N.Y.: The Institute of Arab American Affairs. OCLC 2794438.
• Qomeiha, Hassan Ahmad (2021-05-02). ديوانُ الشَّاعِرِ المَهْجريّ نَدْرة حَدّاد [The works of Mahjari poet Nadra Haddad] (in Arabic).
• Zarkali, Khay red-Din (2002). الأعلام (in Arabic). Vol. ج 8 : نافع بن ظريب - يوهنس. Beirut: Dar al`ilm lil Malayin.
• Zeghidour, Slimane (1982). La poesie arabe moderne entre l'Islam et l'Occident (in French). Paris: Karthala. ISBN 978-2-86537-047-4. OCLC 924571139.