(1912 – 1986 AD = 1330 – 1406 AH) Adib ibn Ibrahim ibn Nasif Al-Haddad, known as Abu Milhem, was an author, theatrical artist, and oral poet (zajal). He was born in Alia, Mount Lebanon, where he received his education. He worked as a teacher before dedicating himself to theatrical art. He participated in and wrote numerous plays, acting in many of his works, such as “Yusuf Bik Karam,” “Omar bin Al-Khattab” and “Broken Wings.” He worked at different governmental jobs, as well as in Lebanese radio and TV stations. He was twice elected the head of Lebanese Artist Syndicate. Among his remnants are “Zajaliat Abu Milhem” (a collection of his oral poems) and several plays, including “Love in Al-Dayaa,” “A Mother in Law and a Daughter in Law,” “My Tough Aunt” and “Laila, The Mountain’s Girl.”

(1878 – 1948 AD = 1295 – 1368 AH) Edward ibn Nicola Elias Murqus was a writer, poet, journalist and translator. He was a member of the Arab League in Damascus, where he was born and educated before leaving public school in favor of homeschooling. Before he became a journalist, he spent a lengthy stint as an educator, and as a reporter, he edited and published articles in various newspaper and magazines in Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. In 1910, he founded “Al-Muntakhab” (The Elected), a weekly newspaper in Lattakia prior to WWI. Nine years later, in 1919, he founded weekly magazine “Al-Nahda Al-Jadida” (The New Uprising). He published much of his research in the “Academy of Sciences” and was an editor for the newspapers “Al-Mokattam” and “Al-Mahroosa.” Among his remnants are “Arabic Literature: What It Offers and What It Should Offer,” “Localization from French,” “Diwan Edward Murqus” (a collection of his poetry and writings), “History of the Great War” (translated from French), “In Favor of the Arabic Language” and other novels and three schoolbooks.

(1903 – 1966 AD = 1321 – 1386 AH) Edwar Salim Atiyyeh was a Lebanese author, writer and historian. He was born in Alexandria and received his education from the Victoria College in Alexandria and Oxforf, England. He taught history at the Gordon Memorial College of the University of Khartoum between 1926 and 1927. He worked as an employee of the public relations office of the Sudanese government from 1927 until 1945, when he moved to London to work as a secretary to the Arab Bureau between 1945 and 1950. In 1956, he worked as a press adviser in the Iraqi Embassy. Among his remnants are “An Arab Tells his Story,” “The Thin Line,” “Black Vanguard,” “Lebanon Paradise,” “The Arabs,” “The Crime of Julian Masters” and “The Eagle Flies from England.” All of his novels were originally written in English.

(1901 – 1979 AD = 1319 – 1399 AH) Edward ibn Khalil ibn Milhem Al-Bustani was a Lebanese jurist, poet, translator and journalist from Deir Al-Qamar, Lebanon. He received his education from the School of Aintoura and continued his higher studies at the Institute of Law in Beirut. He was able to become a translator at the Official Translations and Publications Department due to his proficient knowledge of both Arabic and French, then moving on to become the head of the Cabinet Office. His articles and research were published in many magazines and newspapers. Among his remnants are “The Grave and The Hope” (novel), “The Translation’s Curricula,” “Adjudications” (with the help of Khalil Taqieddin), “Foreign Studies in the History of Lebanon,” “3 Years in Egypt and the Levant,” “The Golden Book of the Armies of the Levant” (translation) and an unprinted collection of poems.

(Died in 1923 AD = 1341 AH) Edward Elias was a Greek Orthodox Syrian writer and voyager. He was born and raised in Syria, from where he immigrated to Egypt. He worked as a government employee and was later assigned the position of Inspector to the Ministry of Interior. He travelled to Europe and the Americas, documenting his journey and the history of the countries he visited. Among his remnants are “Scenes from Europe and America” and “Scenes from Kingdoms,” printed in 1910, where he described Europe, the United States of America, Tunisia, Algeria, the Balkans (Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece), Syria and Lebanon.

(1913 – 1992 AD = 1331 – 1412 AH) Edward ibn Ibrahim Hanin was Lebanese author, lawyer and politician born in the village of Kfarshima on the coast of Beirut. He studied at Saint Joseph’s University, where he received his degree in law. He worked in the fields of literature and science, contributed writings to various newspapers and joined the “People of the Pen” association. He was elected Secretary General to the National Liberal Party. In 1957, he was elected to represent the Matn district in Lebanon, a position from which he moved on to become the Minister of Labor in 1961 and 1964. Among his remnants are “The National Bloc,” which describes the Mount Lebanon parliamentary election of 1947, “In the Footsteps of Democracy” and “This is How They Ruled in Our Name.”

(Born in 1892 AD = 1310 AH) Edmon ibn Abdullah Bleibil was a Maronite Lebanese author, historian and pharmacist born in Bharsaf, Lebanon. He received his education in local schools in his village and later joined the School of Pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s University in 1914. He travelled to France, where he mastered the art of teaching. He worked as an educator in different schools throughout Beirut and eventually settled there. Among his remnants are “Great Bikfaya’s Calendar and the History of its Capture,” “The General History of Lebanon,” “Comrade Michael Haddad” and “Bikfaya’s Guide.”

George bin Elias Abyad was a renowned actor of Arab theater. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Abyad received his education at Collège des Frères and continued his education at the School of Wisdom, where he got his first taste of the theater. Though he spent much of his youth working in Beirut, he eventaully travelled to Egypt and joined an amateur theater team. He later received a scholarship to study in France with the help of the Khediv Abbas Hilmi. Upon his return, Abyad created a theatrical group, produced several international plays and taught the art of diction at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts. He travelled throughout several Arab countries with his band and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture later made a statue in his honor at the Higher Institute of Arts. Abyad was the first to produce a spoken film in Egypt in 1932 and is considered one of the founders of the Higher Institute of Representation. Among his notable plays include Louis XI of France , The King’s Clown , Sultan Saladin , and The Kingdom of Jerusalem .

Jundi Abd El-Malek was an Egyptian Copt jurist and author from Shibin Al Kawm in Al-Minufiyah, Egypt. He graduated from the College of Law in Cairo and held several positions including head of the Court of Cassation, followed by Counselor of Cassation and Repeal, and later Minister of Supply. Among his notable works include Majmo’at Al-Mabadi’ Al-Jina’iya (The Collection of Criminal Principles) and Criminal Encyclopedia .

George Hanna was a doctor and writer from Al-Shuifat, Lebanon. After pursuing his education at Souq Al-Gharb High School, he went on to study medicine at Evangelical Syrian College in Beirut (what later became the American University in Beirut). He joined the Ottoman Army as a medic soldier during World War I and was captured by the British army in the Battle of Jericho, though he was eventually released under the condition that he serve in the Egyptian Army. After his service, Hanna returned to his hometown before traveling to Paris to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, and he later went on to found a hospital for obstetrics in Beirut. He was a member of the Lebanese Medical Institution, the Global Peace Movement, and president of the Lebanese-Soviet Friendship Society. He was published in several newspapers including the British Mandate newspaper Asia under the alias of “Ibn Sina.” Among his notable works include Infertility and Human Strain , Albania: Land of the Eagles , From Occupation to Independence , The Lebanese , Back from Moscow , The Way to Salvation , Conversation with the Arab Woman , The Story of Man , A Journey into a New World , A Woman is a Body and a Soul , The Reality of the Arab World , In Moscow Again and Social Awareness .