Abdalrahman Alqalaq

Born in Damascus in 1997, Abdalrahman Alqalaq is a Syrian-Palestinian poet, author, and performer who fled to Germany in 2015. In 2017, he completed a cultural year at the Staatstheater Karlsruhe and in 2022 he released his debut poetry collection in Arabic »24«, through the elles publishing house in Cairo. As a scholar of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, he has been studying Cultural Studies & Theater Studies in Hildesheim since 2020. He recently completed a semester at the Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines in Rabat, focusing on Cultural policy in international comparison.

Alqalaq’s debut poetry collection, »24« is marked by vivid imagery and emotional depth, providing a glimpse into the lives of individuals caught in the crossfire of geopolitical turmoil. His style is often characterized by dialogue-rich short prose, laden with colloquial phrases and neologisms, reflecting the intersection of the cultures he embodies. He is a master of lyrical narrative, melding the personal and political with a deft hand. His works have been featured in multiple anthologies, including »Im deutschen Exil« (tr: In German Exile) »Gute Literatur«, (tr: Good Literature), and »Über Grenzen« (tr: Across Borders), among others.

Alqalaq has also ventured into theater with productions like » Rite of Passage & Sea Commandments « and » Blauer Marmor Interface« showcasing his diverse talent as a performer. His influence extends beyond his written work, contributing to the cultural sector as an assistant organizer for the festivals »Performing Exiles« at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and »Play_work in Progress« at the Junges Nationaltheater in Mannheim. Known for performances that strike a chord between the poetic and the political, Alqalaq uses his voice to provide insights into the realities of exile, migration, and cultural identity. His work is a testimony to his resilience and determination to carve out a space for himself in the world of literature despite the adversities.

The author currently lives in Hildesheim, Germany.

24

Elles Publishing House
Cairo, 2022