Haifa BITAR is the author of eight novels, including [‘A Woman of this Modern Age’] and eleven short story collections, including [‘Dusk and Writing’]. She is a regular contributor of literary reviews to numerous Arabic-language newspapers, appears as a guest on Arabic cultural television programs. Among her awards is the Abu Al-Qasem Al-Shabi Prize, awarded in Tunisia for her collection [‘The Whore’] in 2003. Bitar is also a practicing ophthalmologist at the National Hospital in Latakia. She attends courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State.