Samah Sabawi

{{Palestinians}}

{{Palestinians}}

'''Samah Sabawi''' ({{langx|ar|سماح السبعاوي}}; born 1967) is a Palestinian playwright, scholar, commentator and poet. Her plays include ''Cries from the Land'' (2003), ''Three Wishes'' (2008), ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' (2014) and ''Them'' (2019).<ref>[https://www.thembysamahsabawi.com/the-playwright "The Playwright"], ''Them''. Retrieved 21 April 2020.</ref> Sabawi has received two Drama Victoria Awards, a Green Room Award, and a place in the [[Victorian Certificate of Education|VCE]] Drama curriculum for the latter two plays.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.currency.com.au/authors/samah-sabawi |title=Samah Sabawi |website=www.currency.com.au |access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref><ref>[https://www.greenroom.org.au/awards/nominees2020/ . Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref><ref>[https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/awards/nick-enright-prize-playwriting/2020-shortlisted-them-samah-sabawi/. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref><ref>[https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2021/schools-and-teachers/for-schools-them/. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref> Since 2014, ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' has been staged over 100 times in theaters and schools around the world. ''THEM'' will be remounted in July 2021, with a premiere at the [[Arts Centre Melbourne]] before it tours through Shepparton, Bendigo, and Sydney.<ref>[https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2021/theatre/them. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref>

'''Samah Sabawi''' ({{langx|ar|سماح السبعاوي}}; born 1967) is a Palestinian playwright, scholar, commentator and poet. Her plays include ''Cries from the Land'' (2003), ''Three Wishes'' (2008), ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' (2014) and ''Them'' (2019).<ref>[https://www.thembysamahsabawi.com/the-playwright "The Playwright"], ''Them''. Retrieved 21 April 2020.</ref> Sabawi has received two Drama Victoria Awards, a Green Room Award, and a place in the [[Victorian Certificate of Education|VCE]] Drama curriculum for the latter two plays.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.currency.com.au/authors/samah-sabawi |title=Samah Sabawi |website=www.currency.com.au |access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref><ref>[https://www.greenroom.org.au/awards/nominees2020/ . Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref><ref>[https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/awards/nick-enright-prize-playwriting/2020-shortlisted-them-samah-sabawi/. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref><ref>[https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2021/schools-and-teachers/for-schools-them/. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref> Since 2014, ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' has been staged over 100 times in theaters and schools around the world. ''THEM'' was remounted{{Clarify|date=July 2025}} in July 2021, with a premiere at the [[Arts Centre Melbourne]] before it tours through Shepparton, Bendigo, and Sydney.<ref>[https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2021/theatre/them. Retrieved 31 May 2020.]</ref>

Sabawi's essays and opeds have appeared in [[The Australian]], [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], [[Al-Ahram]], [[The Globe and Mail]], [[The Age]], and [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]. She is a frequent guest/co-presenter on 774 ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine's Conversation Hour. She appeared alongside Israeli writer [[Ari Shavit]],<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/05/21/4009157.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 21 May 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> [[BBC News]] New York and UN Correspondent Nick Bryant,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/07/03/4038564.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 3 July 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> actress [[Miriam Margolyes]],<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/10/30/4117979.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 30 October 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> and numerous others.

Sabawi's essays and opeds have appeared in [[The Australian]], [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], [[Al-Ahram]], [[The Globe and Mail]], [[The Age]], and [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]. She is a frequent guest/co-presenter on 774 ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine's Conversation Hour. She appeared alongside Israeli writer [[Ari Shavit]],<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/05/21/4009157.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 21 May 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> [[BBC News]] New York and UN Correspondent Nick Bryant,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/07/03/4038564.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 3 July 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> actress [[Miriam Margolyes]],<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2014/10/30/4117979.htm/], ''ABC Melbourne'', 30 October 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.</ref> and numerous others.

Sabawi's family left Gaza following Israel's occupation of the Strip in the [[Six-Day War]].<ref>Samah Sabawi, [http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/pain-of-gaza-exile-endures-after-43-years-20100607-xqn1.html "Pain of Gaza exile endures after 43 years"], ''The Age'', June 8, 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2012.</ref> Although she has lived and worked in many countries around the world she still has "strong ties to her place of birth - ties that have shaped [her] work and identity".<ref>[http://al-shabaka.org/people/policy-advisor/samah-sabawi "Samah Sabawi"], ''Al-shabaka''. Retrieved 7 April 2012.</ref> As a result of this she is fluent in both [[English language|English]] and [[Arabic]] and has given speeches and interviews in both.

Sabawi's family left Gaza following Israel's occupation of the Strip in the [[Six-Day War]].<ref>Samah Sabawi, [http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/pain-of-gaza-exile-endures-after-43-years-20100607-xqn1.html "Pain of Gaza exile endures after 43 years"], ''The Age'', June 8, 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2012.</ref> Although she has lived and worked in many countries around the world she still has "strong ties to her place of birth - ties that have shaped [her] work and identity".<ref>[http://al-shabaka.org/people/policy-advisor/samah-sabawi "Samah Sabawi"], ''Al-shabaka''. Retrieved 7 April 2012.</ref> As a result of this she is fluent in both [[English language|English]] and [[Arabic]] and has given speeches and interviews in both.

Sabawi has called for better representation of the Palestinian people<ref>[http://al-shabaka.org/september-and-beyond-who-speaks-my-name "September and Beyond: Who Speaks in My Name?"], ''Al-shabaka'' 13 September 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2012.</ref> She has, for example, criticised the Palestinian leadership for signing the Oslo Agreement. In her view, the Oslo Agreements were "designed to fragment the Palestinian people both physically and politically."<ref>{{cite web|author1=Interview by ICAHD Finland|title=Samah Sabawi: Crisis of Palestinian leadership|url=https://vimeo.com/166492481|publisher=ICAHD Finland|accessdate=23 December 2016}}</ref> She has been a consistent participant of [[Israeli Apartheid Week]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at1y1MPULz8 "Israeli Apartheid Week Sydney 2012 - Samah Sabawi 'Normalize This!"], 31 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.</ref> and a lifetime advocate for non-violent resistance.<ref>[http://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/launch-events/ "Launch Events"], ''The People's Charter to Create a Nonviolent World''.</ref>

Sabawi has called for better representation of the Palestinian people<ref>[http://al-shabaka.org/september-and-beyond-who-speaks-my-name "September and Beyond: Who Speaks in My Name?"], ''Al-shabaka'' 13 September 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2012.</ref> She has, for example, criticised the Palestinian leadership for signing the [[Oslo Accords|Oslo Agreement]]. In her view, the Oslo Agreements were "designed to fragment the Palestinian people both physically and politically."<ref>{{cite web|author1=Interview by ICAHD Finland|title=Samah Sabawi: Crisis of Palestinian leadership|url=https://vimeo.com/166492481|publisher=ICAHD Finland|accessdate=23 December 2016}}</ref> She has been a consistent participant of [[Israeli Apartheid Week]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at1y1MPULz8 "Israeli Apartheid Week Sydney 2012 - Samah Sabawi 'Normalize This!"], 31 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.</ref> and a lifetime advocate for non-violent resistance.<ref>[http://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/launch-events/ "Launch Events"], ''The People's Charter to Create a Nonviolent World''.</ref>

==Wheeler Centre Incident==

==Wheeler Centre Incident==

[[Category:Palestinian emigrants to Australia]]

[[Category:Palestinian emigrants to Australia]]

[[Category:Palestinian emigrants to Canada]]

[[Category:Palestinian emigrants to Canada]]

[[Category:Palestinian women dramatists and playwrights]]