Syrian Novelist Ahlam Abu Assaf

A Syrian novelist, born on March 18, 1965, in the village of Umm Dhibib, in the Suwayda Governorate, located in southern Syria.

Her childhood dream was to change the world. She grew up with this dream, but didn’t know how to achieve it. It grew with this rural girl. She began to realize it by enrolling in a primary school after a fierce struggle against customs and traditions that opposed girls moving from the countryside to the city to complete their education. She found part of her dream in education and became a successful teacher, dedicating herself to teaching children how to think and how to listen. After twenty years, she moved to the administration of the school where she had taught in her village. She received certificates of appreciation for her work and gained considerable renown for her ability to solve educational problems and improve the relationship between students, administration, parents, and teachers. She adopted a non-violent, discussion-based approach to understanding, and she succeeded in this. Then came the completion of her university education at the age of forty… only to discover that in her attempt to change the world, she had forgotten to change herself. Her divorce came after twenty years of a failed marriage, and she raised her son, Fadi, and daughter, Hadeel, alone, relying on no one but God. Then came her battle with breast cancer, which she ultimately overcame. This experience became a turning point, allowing her to rediscover herself and begin to change, turning to writing. Finally, after forty years of dreaming, she found what she had been searching for. She poured her longing into the pages of her novel, “Thirst…A Woman,” which achieved remarkable success. She continued to transform herself, and this transformation gradually spread to those who embraced her ideas: that a woman is a human being with rights and responsibilities, which she should understand through education and by nurturing her spirituality. At the height of her joy, fate struck, snatching away her beloved son, Fadi, who was just beginning to shine in the world of music and singing. It was a profound shock, but it did not shatter her composure. She continued on her path, and his death became a divine voice calling her to persevere in helping his sister, Hadeel, and her children. She continued her writing journey, penning her second novel, “The Departure of the Hawthorn,” which also found acclaim from readers. She dedicated a portion of its proceeds to cancer patients as a tribute to the soul of Fadi, whom this disease snatched away too soon.

Ahlam Barjas Abu Assaf, the grieving mother, feels her son’s spirit hovering around her, watching over her, a guiding star illuminating her path from above. She continues her literary and life journey in peace and security, writing her third novel, “A Glimmer in the Andes,” which is currently in print and is expected to achieve international acclaim.

For life is worth living.