The Exiled Prophet : Selected Fiction by Naji Dhaher

The Exiled Prophet: Selected Fiction by Naji Dhaher introduces readers to the illuminating and emotional works of Naji Dhaher, an influential Palestinian writer whose family was displaced during the 1948 Palestine war. Inspired by his own experiences, Dhaher’s fiction examines the psychological effects of the Nakba on the children of exiled Palestinians who continued to live within the newly formed state of Israel. 

The collection begins by presenting readers with the historical background necessary to fully understand Dhaher’s works, including readings on the nature of Palestinian literature after the Nakba, mass exodus and relocation in Lebanon, Palestinian resistance literature, and Dhaher’s biography. Part II offers readers selected short stories by Dhaher, translated from Arabic to English. The stories reflect themes that are central to Dhaher’s work—human suffering, the concept of the human being within an eternal cycle, and alienation. The final part of the anthology is comprised of “The Owl Neighborhood,” a novella written by Dhaher.

The Exiled Prophet is an excellent supplementary text for courses in Arab–Israeli conflict, contemporary modern Arabic literature, and Palestinian resistance literature.

Hazza Abu Rabia is a faculty member in the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages at University of Connecticut, and the Modern Languages Department at Central Connecticut State University. He holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Hartford and master’s degrees in Judaic and Islamic studies from Hartford Seminary and the University of Connecticut.

Jonathan Daigle is an associate professor of English at the University of Hartford, where he teaches courses in composition, the literature of non-Western cultures, and African American literature. He has published several articles on race, genre, and social science. Jonathan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.