Samah Sabawi is a Palestinian-Australian writer, poet, and playwright whose works explore themes of exile, memory, and identity through a deeply human lens. Born in Gaza and raised in Australia, she holds a Ph.D. from Victoria University, where her research focused on intergenerational trauma and the experiences of Palestinian-Australians. Her acclaimed memoir Cactus Pear for My Beloved (Penguin Australia, 2024) traces her family’s century-long journey—from British Mandate Palestine to contemporary Australia—interweaving personal narrative with collective history. The book was shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize and the Douglas Stewart Prize under the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and received a Highly Commended recognition from the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Beyond prose, Sabawi’s plays—renowned for their poetic realism and political depth—earned her the 2020 Green Room Award for Best Writing in Independent Theatre. Through her literary work and advocacy, Samah continues to shape Australia’s cultural landscape with stories that bridge themes of displacement, resilience, and the search for meaning.
