Bachtyar Ali

Bachtyar Ali, born in 1966 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, is a renowned contemporary writer and poet from the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq. He first gained acclaim in 1983 with his poem »Nishtiman« (tr: The Homeland), followed by his first poetry collection, »Gunah w Karnaval« (1992; tr: The Sin and the Carnival). His literary activities intensified after the 1991 uprising, contributing notably to the philosophical magazine »Azadi« (tr: Freedom). His prolific body of work comprises novels, poetry, and essays. His novel »Schar i Moseqare Speakan« (2005; tr: The City of the White Musicians) was honored as the best book of the year in 2005 by the Kurdistan Education Ministry. He subsequently won the inaugural HARDI Literature Prize in 2009, the Sherko Bekas Literature Prize in 2014, and the Nelly-Sachs-Prize in 2017. He is known for his open criticism of the political and social conditions in his homeland. The author currently resides in Germany.