Ali Aḥmad Sai‘īd Esber, the real name of Adonis, is one of the most important poets and intellectuals in the Arab world. Born in a Syrian village in 1930 to a farming family, he completed his university studies in Damascus, earning a degree in philosophy. He later moved to Beirut, where he worked as a teacher and journalist. He currently lives in Paris.
His work has been recognized with numerous literary awards in France, Italy, Turkey, and Lebanon. In 2002, he was awarded the Ennio Flaiano Prize for Literature in the poetry category. His poetry books published by Guanda include: Memoria del vento, Cento poesie d’amore, Storia lacerata nel corpo di una donna, Singolare in forma di plurale, La foresta dell’amore in noi, and Prendimi, caos, nelle tue braccia. Guanda has also published his essay collections La preghiera e la spada, La musica della balena azzurra, and Oceano nero, as well as the pamphlets Violenza e islam and Profezia e potere.
