Tawfiq Yusuf 'Awwad

Tawfiq’s father worked as a real estate expert as well as a building contractor and his mother was born into a conservative village. Tawfiq’s early life and childhood was heavily impacted by World War I, which began when he was around three years old. The 1916 famine in Mount Lebanon forced Tawfiq and his family to leave their hometown and move to Zahle, where his father decided to reestablish their losses by opening a small restaurant. Unfortunately, around that time there was a new fever outbreak in the city of Zahle, and Tawfiq’s family had no choice but to go back to the village they had to abandon before.[2]

The school, “Friends” in Broumana, taught Tawfiq how to read and write, as well as many other elementary skills. He then returned to Bharsaf village where he enrolled in the Mar Yousuf Church school. He later transferred to another school called “al Abaa’ al Yasouein” (Jesuit Fathers in English and الاباء اليسوعيين in Arabic) in Bakfaya where he received his official elementary education. In 1924, Tawfiq enrolled in the institution of “al Abaa’ al Yasouein” in Beirut where he continued working as a writer for al-‘Arīs (in Arabic العريس) newspaper and al-Barq (in Arabic البرق) newspaper. In 1927 he completed his Baccalaureate degree.[2]

His hobbies involved reading Arabic and French literature. His passion for literature encouraged him to take part in plays that were put on at the end of every scholastic year. During his free time, he would create impressions of inanimate objects that surrounded him, which later inspired and became the basis of one of his novels “al- Raghif (The Loaf)”. At 15 years old, he began writing poems in al-‘Arīs newspaper, which was owned by Abdallah Hashima.[2]

After working in Argentine as a Lebanese Ambassador for two years, he traveled to Iran for the same job opportunity. Tawfiq’s most memorable experience in Iran was his visit to the city Qom. In 1945, he moved to the city of Madrid, Spain, where he remained for three years. In Madrid, Tawfiq visited the El Escorial library where he discovered the glories of the Arab. After staying in Madrid, Tawfiq went to Cairo, Egypt where he lived through the Suez Crisis. His stay in Egypt lasted until 1959. After that, he went to Mexico and stayed for one year. After moving from country to country, he returned to his hometown, Lebanon, where he worked as the director of social and cultural affairs for around six years.[2]

His talent was almost always recognized through his works of journalism. His ability to relatively excel in his articles was likely due to the fact that he began writing journalist-style at a very young age, so his skilled evolved for the better over time and made it easy for him to write these articles when he grew older.[2]

His writing was also recognized due to his ability to make words sound beautiful and gave them new meanings throughout his works. His word choice was always expressive and detailed, giving readers an efficient way to perceive the situation they’re reading about. His articles were fun to read because he wrote spontaneously, clearly, and humorously. Before submitting anything for publishing, he read his work over and over again, attempting to do so through the different perspectives of his potential readers. He strongly felt that if he didn’t believe his article was a good read, neither would his audience. ‘Awwad said “I write which means I am,” as well as “words in my mouth taste like kisses.” [2]

Tawfiq says the most difficult writing style is attempting to incorporate the subtle differences in slang while writing a conversational dialogue, and sometimes adding formal language to the discussion.[2]

Awwad says he was in love with the words he wrote. He also mentioned the way he wrote in the same way he loved, that the words to his were his lover. He also warned himself from falling into the trap that comes with this love of words like women. He says women can be powerful, seductive, devious, and that he always needed to make sure that he was in control of his words, and not the other way around.[2]

• al-Sabi al a'raj (The Limping Boy), 1936
• Qamis al-suf (The Woollen Shirt), 1937
• al-'Adhara (The Virgins), 1944
• Matar al-Saki (Frosty Airport), 1982

• al-Raghif (The Loaf), 1939.

One of Tawfiq Yusuf Awwad’s best Arabic fictional novels is The Loaf. It revolves around the events during World War I, where the people of Syria and Lebanon resisted the Turks. This time resembles an important date in Arab history which is identified in the novel. The novel gives important implications which are especially relevant to this era, where nationalists have risen and made their voices heard in the Arab countries. The Loaf discusses possible interventions and solutions fit for significant events taking place today. Awwad writes that “Arabs are still striving for a loaf of bread”, implying that imperialism still holds power over Arab countries and that Arabs are striving for freedom and independence. The novel, however, faces two popular criticisms. The first being that The Loaf has details that are irrelevant to the narrative, and the second being that the author often disrupts the flow of the narrative when he tries to explain the action. On the contrary, the novel is well balanced between psychological analysis and dramatic sensitivity, placing it high on the list of Arabic novels.[3]

• Tawahin Bayrut, 1972. Translated as Death in Beirut, 1976.

Death in Beirut, also called The Mills of Beirut, is Tawfiq Yusuf Awwad’s second novel. The story takes place in Lebanon, years after the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. It follows the heroine, Tamima Nassour, a Shia Muslim teenage girl who leaves her village of Mahdiyaa in southern Lebanon to enroll in university in Beirut. The author uses her journey to show the challenges and cultural changes faced by the Lebanese youth in the aftermath of the war and the Israeli raids on Fedayeen (Arab guerrillas). The aim of the novel is to show the cultural transformation of the modern Lebanese society. Tawfiq, who writes with great sensitivity, used his strength of having a long experience of art and life to choose the subject for this novel and capture it in writing. The author, trying to picture the realities of life in Lebanon, follows the footsteps of realists. The novel displays two panoramas: a historical documentation of Lebanon and a poetic description of the characters’ struggles.[3]

During Tamima’s journey at university, she gets caught up in student demonstrations, gets seduced by a rebellious writer, Ramzi Raad, and falls in love with a Christian, Maronite Hani Raai, who lived in Deir Mutil in northern Lebanon. Like most other students, she also had a part-time job to meet her financial needs. The bulk of the novel revolves around her ruthless brother, Jaber Nassour, her growing friendship with Mary Abu-Khalil, and her love for Hani. The climax of the novel was when Hani rejected Tamima after he found out about her past. After several setbacks, Tamima gains wisdom and realizes that her freedom is nothing without the freedom of others. Thus, she decides to join forces with the revolution and change. She then joins the Fedayeen, determined to see though the lies and deceit, and as a result, gradually begins to lose her innocence. Death in Beirut ends with having her career ended, in hopes of fighting for a bigger purpose, ending her intellectual growth.[3]

The novel is written in the third person omniscient point of view, allowing Awwad to explore the conflicts faced in Beirut and the fates of characters in which their fortunes are linked to Tamima’s life. However, the audience is also exposed to Tamima’s inner thoughts as there are moments in the novel of Tamima’s diary. The author does not use an authorial voice to deliver his message, instead, he accomplishes it through human relationships. When analyzing the language of the novel, Awwad uses intense poetic imagery, especially when describing the scene of Tamima getting seductued by Hani, as compared to other Arabic novels. Death in Beirut successfully explores the relationship of people with different religious backgrounds in a distressed community and describes the tragic historical events following the war of 1967 in Lebanon.[3]

• Play: The Tourist and The Guide

In the play, The Tourist and the Guide, the author introduces it by stating that he wants the actors to portray Gods living among mankind, and even on a level greater "than the gods of Baalbek.” By doing so, the play would be greater than the usual play. The play is not realistic, except in the way the dialogue is fashioned. It belongs to the genre of intellectual drama, where Awwad is acknowledged as the pioneer. Due to his use of intellectual dialogue, the author is determined that the actors be on the level of Gods. In contrast to Ancient Greek, where mankind and the Gods lived in harmony and interact with each other, the author is eager to find philosophical problems faced by mankind in which may cause the Gods distress. The characters of the Tourist and the Guide include the tourist, who came from the other side of the world to visit the ruins of Baalbek, the sculptor, and a man who symbolized the people of the future. The script, unlike normal scripts that are divided into acts, is divided into three sections: arrival, visit and return. As for the acting content of the play, it is not packed with action, rather the intellectual dialogue is what masks the play. The dialogue, although full of discussion of ideas, is dramatized by bursts of imagery and poetry. This play, different from his fiction novels, shows maturity in his thoughts, language, and through his use of imagery.[3]

Tawfiq ‘Awwad’s childhood was heavily influenced by the stories read to him by his grandmother in the children’s book “alf Layla wa Layla.”  His inspiration later came from French novelists as well as Arab writers and poets such as Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣbahānī (ابو الفرج الاصفهاني), Al- Mutanabi and Al- Jahiz. His creativeness was not only shaped by stories and other writers, but also his diplomatic life and travels which gave a new type of enrichment to his works.[2]

Tawfiq ‘Awwad was a storyteller who wrote both short and long stories which reflected his own life-story, personal experiences, memories, and attitudes that he has expressed and experienced throughout his entire life.[2]

In “al Raghif,” he spoke about poverty that stroke during World War I due to the “al Jarad” invasion of Mount Lebanon in 1916. Tawfiq also dealt with and wrote about other issues including the struggle that the Lebanese people faced before their independence from the Ottoman occupation. One of those struggles included the hangings of many revolutionists. From these events that Tawfiq witnessed, he was able to perfectly capture and depict the poverty, misery, and struggle that came while fighting for independence, as well as the ignorance that came on the government’s behalf.[2]

He established his own journal and named it “al Jadid.” Tawfiq had his own unique way of dealing with social issues concerning the public, always taking on an objective perception by taking into consideration all points of view regarding the issue. His ultimate aim was an attempt to eliminate racism and create national parties that involved peace.[2]