Ghayath Almadhoun is a Palestinian poet born in Damascus, Syria, and emigrated to Sweden in 2008. Now he lives in Berlin. He has published four poetry collections in Arabic and his work has been translated into dozens of languages. Ghayath Almadhoun collaborated with other poets and artists and his poetry has been part of work by US artist Jenny Holzer and German musician Blixa Bargeld, and others.
His latest collection “Adrenalin”, published in English by Action Books 2017, was among SPD Poetry Bestsellers in the US, and was nominated for the 2018 Best Translated Book Award. His selected poems “Ein Raubtier namens Mittelmeer” (Predator called the Mediterranean), Arche Verlag, 2018, ranked top of the Litprom-Bestenliste 2018 of best books translated into German.

Publications (Selection)
2004 | سهوا سقطت قصائد ,Arabic Writers Union i Damaskus.
2008 |  ت غرف ضاقت المدينة اتسعت كلما ,Damascus as Cultural Capital for Arabic Culture.
2014 | الحضور أستطيع ال ,Arab Institute for Research and Publishing in Beirut and Amman.
2017 | ي أدرينال ,Almutawassit, Milano.
2017 | Adrenalin, translated into English by Catherine Cobham, Action Books, USA.
2018 | Ein Raubtier namens Mittelmeer. poems. translation Larissa Bender. Arche Literatur
Verlag, Zürich and Hamburg.

Poetry films
2009 | Ödeläggelse IV Stockholm – Gaza.
2012 | The City
2012 | Your Memory is My Freedom
2014 | The Celebration
2015 | SNOW
2020 | Évian

Awards
2005 | Almazraa prize, Syria.
2008 | Damascus Arab Capital of Culture for Young Writers Prize, Syria.
2012 | Klas de Vylders prize, Swden.
2019 - 2020 | Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD 2019 – 2020
2020 | The ZEBRA award for the best poetry film 2020 - ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, Berlin for the film “Évian”


Project description
Ghayath Almadhoun formulates his project intention as follows: In my new book of poetry, I will use my writing as a diary to survive, as a therapy to heal the inner wound, and will translate into poetry the reality in which I suddenly find myself. I will search for the origins of my double exile, a stateless child born in Damascus and forced to flee from Syrian exile to a Western one. In this double exile, I will write down the paradox of this new life through mirroring memories. I am no longer Middle Eastern, nor will I ever be 100% Western. I am a new species coming out of exile and living in the parallel. I am becoming the parallel.
Berlin is a place where I have my own imaginary Marshall Plan to rebuild Damascus in my imagination.