Ashraf Zaghal
PalestineAbout
Ashraf Zaghal is a Palestinian Canadian poet and novelist born and raised in Jerusalem. Before publishing his debut novel, Seven Heavens Away (2026), he established himself as a poet, publishing four collections in Arabic between 1998 and 2016. His poetry has been translated into English, French, and Hebrew, bringing his work to readers across different linguistic and cultural traditions. Zaghal later moved to Canada to study environmental engineering and earned a PhD in Water Resource Engineering from the University of Guelph, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He also edits an online magazine dedicated to progressive literature and translation. His fiction draws on his deep connection to Jerusalem, exploring the human cost of political violence, the complexities of identity, and the struggle to preserve humanity amid conflict.
