Hanna Mina

Hanna Mina  was  considered as one of the most outstanding  novelists in Syria. He was born in Latakia, 1924 to  a poor family, and lived his childhood in (al-Mostanqa’a) district ,  in  one of  Iskenderun  villages.  After the Turkish aggression on  his native district, he emigrated  to other parts of Syria to pursue fighting  with his friends  against the French Mandate.

-In 1939 , he returned with his family to Lattakia, where he worked as a barber.

– After that he worked  as a porter  in  Lattakia’s port  and then as a sailor on  boats and ships .

 -Started his literary life as a journalist .  He was interested in writing  radio series in  vernacular. And then  he worked as  government  employee  thenhe began to write many stories and novels.

– Sent his  first stories for publishing  in  Damascene newspapers.

– Moved to Beirut in 1946 searching for a work , and later  moved  to Damascus in 1947 where he settled, and worked  in (al-Insha’a)  newspaper until he became its editor-in-chief.

 – His first literary works were very modest, then he began to write news and short articles and essays in famous newspapers in Syria and Lebanon before  he restored to writing  short stories.

– Began his literary career in  writing  a Don Quixote like  play , but unfortunately it escaped  his library,  the thing which discouraged  him  to write  plays.

– His  first novel was  entitled (al-Masabeh al-Zorq)” The Blue Lamps”, 1954.

– He wrote about  30 novels  , eight of which   talking about the sea as depicted his attachment  to  the sea and sailors  who waged perilous challenges of the sea.

– Among  his  famous novels (al-Nojoom Tohakem al-Qamar)” The Stars Judge The Moon”, and (al-shams fi Yawm Ghaem)” The Sun in Cloudy Day”, (Nihayat Rajol Shojaa)” The End of a  Brave Man”, and (al-Shira’a wa al-A’asefa)” The Sail and The Storm” , most of them  have been rendered into  television works.

– Lived a hard expatriation  experience  , he moved from Latakia to Ersuz  plain near Antakya,  Eskenderun, then Latakia again, Beirut, Damascus. Then  he married  and  travelled with his family  across Europe  arriving  to China, where he settled for  five years.

– Shared  a group of writers in Syria  the  foundation of   the Syrian Writers Association, 1951.

– Contributed to  establishing   the Arab Writers Union,1969.

M.Wassouf