Shahad Al Rawi

Writer and novelist Shahad Al Rawi was born in Baghdad in 1986.

Shahad attended secondary school in Baghdad before moving with her family to Syria. She now lives in Dubai where she is currently studying for a PhD in Anthropology and Administration.

Her first novel, The Baghdad Clock, was published in 2016 and went on to top the bestseller lists in Iraq, Dubai and UAE, as well as being shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. It was subsequently translated by Luke Leafgren and published by Oneworld.

The Baghdad Clock, which takes readers beyond the familiar images of Iraq in the news to show the everyday struggle of Baghdad’s people won the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award, voted for by Book Festival audiences. One reader commented: ‘Some books you can touch the fragrance of the past when you read them. This novel brings back memories that were hidden under the dust of time.’