Place and Date of Birth: Palestine, Al Ja’una – 1943

Graduated from the University of Damascus, Philosophy Department, in 1968

Obtained a PhD in Philosophy from France in 1974

 Title of Dissertation “Alienation: From Hegel to Marx”

 Wrote for the Arabic-language journal “Shu’un Filastiniyya” (Palestinian Affairs), issued by the Palestine Research Center, Beirut (1975-1977

Supervised the publication series, Hasad Al Fikr Al Arabi (The Harvest of Arab Thought), in cooperation with the late Dr. Ihsan Abbas and Dr. Widad Al Qadi, at Nasser Cultural Institute in Beirut (1977-1982)

   Was Head of the Research Department for the Arab Center for Strategic Studies, Damascus (1996-2002

Worked as a Professor at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Damascus (1997-1999)

Has been on the jury panel of many Arab awards

Published a cultural journal called Qadaya Wa Shahadat (Issues and Testimonies) in seven volumes, in cooperation with the late Abd Al Rahman Munif and the late Sa’dallah Wannus (2000-2006)

Published a six-volume series called Masa’ir Al Hizb Al Siyasi fil Alam Al Arabi (The Future of Political Parties in the Arab World), in conjunction with Jamal Barut (2000-2006)

Supervised the translation of Pierre Bourdieu’s three-volume book, The Misery of the World into Arabic, and translated Claude Lefort’s book, Le Complication (The Complication) in 2007

Currently supervises a publication series entitled Mirrors of Contemporary Thought, published in several volumes by Kan’aan Publishing in Damascus

The series includes special volumes dedicated to Claude Levi-Strauss and Jacques Derrida among others

 Contributed to the first volume of the book The History of Modern Arab Literature, published by Paris University Press in 2007

Important Publications –  Al Waaqe’ Wal Amthal (Reality and Utopia: A Contribution in Literary Politics) – Dalalat Al Alaqa Al Riwa’iya (Novel Connection Semantics) – Thakirat Al Maghloobeen (Memory of the Defeated: Defeat and Zionism in the Palestinian Literary Discourse) – Al Riwaya Wa Ta’weel Al Tareekh (The Novel and the Hermeneutics of History) – Nathariyat Al Riwaya Wal Riwaya Al Arabiya (The Theory of the Novel and the Arabic Novel) – Al Hadatha Al Mutaqahqira (Retreating Modernity: Taha Hussein and Adonis)

Awards –   The prize for Best Arab Book in 2002 for his book, The Theory of the Novel and the Arabic Novel

The Palestine Cultural Creativity Award in 2004

 Faisal Darraj has succeeded in creating a unique critical approach especially in the field of the Arab novel

 About the timing of a novel, Darraj says: “When we say the timing of the novel we forget the reader, because the social meaning of any creative endeavor depends not only on its inherent worth, but also on how it is received and on the number of readers”

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