Mansour El Souwaim
Encyclopedia
Mansour Mohammad El Souwaim (Arabic: منصور الصويم) (born 1970) is a Sudanese writer. He was born in Nyala
in southern Darfur
. He lives and works in Khartoum
.
El Souwaim started writing in 1990 and was first published in 1995. He has released two novels and two collections of short stories to date. His first novel was called Tukhoum Ar-Ramad (The Boundaries of Ash). His second novel Dhakirat Shirrir received the Tayeb Salih Award for Creative Writing, named after the famous Sudanese novelist
.
In 2009, El Souwaim attended the inaugural IPAF Nadwa (writers' workshop). In 2010, he was one of the Beirut39
, a group of 39 Arab writers under the age of 40 chosen through a contest organised by Banipal
magazine and the Hay Festival
. In 2011, El Souwaim received an AFAC (Arab Fund for Arts and Culture) grant for his current project, a historical novel entitled The Last Sultan.
Nyala, Sudan
Nyala is the capital of South Darfur state in the western part of the Sudan. Nyala is located at elevation 2,208 feet in the Darfur historical region.- History :...
in southern Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. He lives and works in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
.
El Souwaim started writing in 1990 and was first published in 1995. He has released two novels and two collections of short stories to date. His first novel was called Tukhoum Ar-Ramad (The Boundaries of Ash). His second novel Dhakirat Shirrir received the Tayeb Salih Award for Creative Writing, named after the famous Sudanese novelist
Tayeb Salih
-Early life:Born in Karmakol, near the village of Al Dabbah in the Northern Province of Sudan, he studied at the University of Khartoum before leaving for the University of London in England. Coming from a background of small farmers and religious teachers, his original intention was to work in...
.
In 2009, El Souwaim attended the inaugural IPAF Nadwa (writers' workshop). In 2010, he was one of the Beirut39
Beirut39
Beirut39 is a collaborative project between the Hay Festival, Beirut UNESCO's World Book Capital 2009 celebrations, Banipal magazine and the British Council among others in order to identify 39 of the most promising Arab writers under the age of 39...
, a group of 39 Arab writers under the age of 40 chosen through a contest organised by Banipal
Banipal
Banipal is an independent literary magazine dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Arab literature through translations in English. It was founded in London in 1998 by Margaret Obank and Samuel Shimon. The magazine is published three times a year...
magazine and the Hay Festival
Hay Festival
The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales for ten days from May to June. Devised by Norman and Peter Florence in 1988, the festival was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind"...
. In 2011, El Souwaim received an AFAC (Arab Fund for Arts and Culture) grant for his current project, a historical novel entitled The Last Sultan.