winner Poetry
Eighth Circle 2002-2003

• Born in Missan, Iraq, 1942
• Published his first poem outside Iraq in Al Adab magazine, Beirut, 1961
• Won a scholarship to Moscow 1959
• BA and MA in Literature from Gorky Institute, 1965
• Worked in Iraq for the press and radio stations
• Started publishing his collections of poems in Baghdad in 1970
• Translated several anthologies of Russian poets into Arabic
• Member of Iraq Writers Union’s Board, 1969
• Attended poetic events in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Damascus, Yemen, France and the UK
• His poetry was a subject of academic theses in Morocco and Iraq
• A collection of his poems was translated into Italian
• Published two novels
• Still writes poetry and criticism and does translations

 Decision of the General Secretariat   

Since his early poetic beginnings, Ja’afar showed a rare awareness that enabled him to contribute to the rise and enrichment of new Arab poetry. He managed to develop the traditional Arab poem in a way that made it an extension of past Arab poetry while reflecting the characteristics of modern poetry.

His experience allowed him to write balanced poetry linguistically and aesthetically. He developed lyrical, dramatic and narrative forms, making use of maxims and folklore, while maintaining a strong link with heritage. All these characteristics combined to form unique poems so fresh and awe-inspiring

 Awards

• Soviet Peace Award, 1983

 Famous Works

• The God’s Palm Tree
• The Wooden Bird
• The Sumerian Lady’s Visit
• Through wall in the Mirror
• And Then The Prophets and Martyrs Are Brought
• Tender Like a Cyclone
• Samarqand’s Pillars
• Karan Al Bour
• The Butterfly and the Stick
• In Collaboration with Blueness
• Quartets of Good Loneliness
• Ashes of the Dervish (memoir)
• Mikovisky (translation)
• Alexander Bloke (translation)
• Bushkin (translation)
• Anna Akhmatova (translation)