Soraya Antonius

About

Soraya Antonius (1932–2017) was a Palestinian writer, journalist, filmmaker, editor, and cultural activist. Born in Jerusalem during the British Mandate, she was the only child of George Antonius, a prominent Arab intellectual and diplomat, and Katy Nimr, a socialite and philanthropist. She studied at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in England before attending the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Later, she settled in Beirut, Lebanon, where she worked in journalism, publishing, and cultural preservation. Deeply committed to Palestinian history and political representation, Antonius was a founding member of the Fifth of June Society, which sought to educate journalists and the public about Palestine. She also wrote and produced Resistance, Why?, a documentary about the Palestinian revolution. Her two novels, The Lord (1986) and Where the Jinn Consult (1987), explore Palestinian society under British colonial rule, combining historical insight with an examination of power, resistance, and cultural identity. Her writing remains an important contribution to Palestinian literature and the preservation of stories from a world transformed by conflict and displacement.