Queer Palestinian American Author & Literary Educator; Author of "You Exist Too Much"; Lambda Literary Award Winner
Zaina Arafat Biography
Zaina Arafat is a queer Palestinian American fiction and nonfiction writer whose work explores identity, belonging, and the complexities of living between cultures. Arafat holds an MA in international affairs from Columbia University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. She served as managing editor of VinePair, an online publication focused on wine news and culture. As an editor, Arafat curated a portfolio of prose and poetry in response to the travel ban and led a Q&A series with Muslim writers for The Margins.
Arafat is the author of the novel "You Exist Too Much," which received a Lambda Literary Award and was selected as an Indie Next Pick. The novel has been featured by O Oprah Magazine, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, NPR, LitHub, and Good Morning America. "You Exist Too Much" follows a Palestinian American woman navigating destructive relationship patterns and her bisexual identity. Told in vignettes set in the United States and the Middle East, the novel traces the protagonist's journey from adolescence to adulthood.
Arafat is also the author of "Our Arab: On Longing, Belonging, and Hope," an essay collection examining Palestinian diasporic identity, longing, and hope. The collection, written over two decades, explores how diasporic Palestinians maintain connection to a homeland that is often unattainable and endangered. The essays are rooted in Arafat's experience as a Palestinian American and address themes of diaspora, cultural identity, and resilience.
Arafat's stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Granta, The Believer, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harper's Bazaar, BuzzFeed, VICE, Guernica, Literary Hub, and NPR. She received the Arab Women/Migrants from the Middle East fellowship at Jack Jones Literary Arts and was named a Champion of Pride by The Advocate.
Arafat teaches writing at Barnard College, the School of the New York Times, and LIU Post. She has also taught at the University of Iowa, the International Writing Program, the Center for Fiction, Tin House, and Sackett Street Writers, as well as abroad in Jordan, Egypt, and Eritrea, where she taught creative writing as part of a U.S. State Department and International Writing Program delegation. Arafat's career in literary education and her published works contribute to ongoing conversations about identity, diaspora, and storytelling in contemporary literature.
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What topics does Zaina Arafat speak about?
Zaina Arafat is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Belonging, Civil Rights, Education, Educational Motivational, Fiction Authors, Influential Women, LGBTQ, Non-Fiction Authors, Social Activism, Storytelling -
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Zaina Arafat is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Zaina Arafat for your event is available upon request. Zaina Arafat generally travels from Brooklyn, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Zachary Scott Robbins, Katie Novak, Natalia Petrzela, Matthew Dicks and Jaiya John. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Zaina Arafat for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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