Lebanese renowned novelist Elias Khoury passes away at the age of 76

On September 15, 2024, news from Beirut. Lebanese renowned novelist Elias Khoury has passed away at the age of 76. Khoury was dedicated to speaking up for the Palestinian cause in most of his works. He taught at universities around the world and became one of Lebanon's outstanding intellectuals.

According to Al-Quds newspaper, as a leading figure in Arabic literature, Khoury had been ill for several months. He was hospitalized and discharged many times in the past year and passed away early Sunday morning. He was born and raised in Beirut. He was outspoken in defending freedom of speech and harshly criticized dictatorship in the Middle East. In addition to novels, he published articles in different Arab media and was widely known throughout the Arab world. Two days after the outbreak of the Palestine-Israel war, he published an article in Al-Quds newspaper. Khoury was born in Beirut in 1948. He is known for his political stances such as supporting the Palestinians and criticizing Israel's settlement policies. He studied at the University of Lebanon and later obtained a doctorate from the University of Paris. He is an outspoken supporter of the Arab uprisings. Khoury comes from a Greek Orthodox family. He participated in the Lebanese civil war and was injured. From 1992 to 2009, he was the editor of the cultural section of Lebanon's major newspaper, Al-Nahar. Until his death, he was the editor-in-chief of the journal Studies on Palestine. His novels tell stories about the Lebanese civil war and Palestinian refugees. They have been translated into many languages. He also taught at many universities.