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Khalil Beidas

Founding father of Arabic short story; translator; educational reformer.

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Date of Birth:

1874

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Nazareth, Palestine

Place of Birth:

Why Featured?

Instrumental in shaping modern Palestinian literature, introduced Russian literature to Arab readers, and significantly impacted educational reform.

Brief bio

Khalil Beidas was a pivotal Palestinian intellectual, lauded for pioneering the short story in Arabic literature. His translations of Russian literary works played a crucial role in introducing and integrating global literature into the Arab literary domain. As an educator, he contributed to the cultural and intellectual life of Palestine through both his writing and his teaching.

Major Milestones

Contributions

  • 1892: Completed his education in the Russian Teachers’ College in Nazareth.

  • 1908: Established and taught at the Orthodox elementary school in Haifa.

  • 1910: Founded the influential literary magazine An-Nafais Al-Assriah.

  • 1916: Faced a death sentence for his anti-Zionist writings, later commuted.

  • 1945: Retired from his long-standing position as a senior Arabic teacher.

  • Literature: Authored "Al-Warith," a novel foreshadowing the partition of Palestine...See More

  • Translation: Introduced major Russian works to Arabic readers, including translations of Pushkin and Tolstoy.

  • Journalism: Through his magazine, he fostered the Nahda movement and featured prominent Arab intellectuals.

  • Education: Wrote mathematics books and a large Arabic encyclopedia; impacted educational methods.

  • Cultural Preservation: Amassed a valuable library of manuscripts and books, although lost in 1948.

Date of Last Update: 
September 3, 2024

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