QUICK FACTS
Date of Birth
1963
Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem, Palestine
Place of Birth
Why Featured?
Ibtisam Barakat is included for her significant literary contributions that provide a poignant view of Palestinian experiences, her activism for peace and education, and her role as a cultural bridge between her Palestinian heritage and her American context.
BRIEF BIO
Ibtisam Barakat is a Palestinian-American author, poet, translator, and educator. She is recognized for her bilingual literary work which encompasses themes of healing from the trauma of war, peacemaking, and the Palestinian experience. As a voice for the Palestinian diaspora, her work resonates with themes of displacement and resilience.
LAST UPDATED
DATE
Monday, January 26, 2026
MAJOR MILESTONES
Key dates & turning points
Fled home during the Six-Day War at the age of three.
Immigrated to the United States on June 9, 1986.
Received a BA in English literature from Birzeit University.
Earned dual master’s degrees in journalism and human development and family studies from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Published her memoir "Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood" in 2007, receiving critical acclaim and awards.
CONTRIBUTIONS
What they did, and why it matters
Her memoirs provide a narrative of Palestinian childhood and coming of age under occupation...See More
Received the International Reading Association’s Best Nonfiction Book Award for Children and Young Adults in 2008...See More
Her stories and poems have been widely anthologized, contributing to the understanding of Palestinian experiences...See More
Founded the Write Your Life seminars to empower others through writing...See More
Served as an educator at Stephens College, fostering a new generation's understanding of Middle Eastern culture and literature...See More
Disclaimer: This chat uses AI to generate responses inspired by the profile content and publicly available information. It does not represent the real person.
Last updated
Jan 26, 2026
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