1977 First Women

Etel Adnan: A prolific writer and intellectual

Born in Lebanon in 1925 to a Greek mother and a Syrian father, Etel Adnan is a writer and painter whose work navigates multiple identities, languages, and cultures. She writes in both English and French, and her writing has garnered fame in Lebanon and beyond. Her 1977 novel Sitt Marie Rose stood out the most, being one of the very first novels to be written during the Lebanese Civil War. In May 2017, she received the AUB University Medal, the university’s most prestigious recognition.