Kamal Al-Solaylee

Kamal Al-Solaylee, a prominent Canadian journalist and author, was born in Aden in nineteen sixty-four. His family sought refuge in Beirut and Cairo after the tumultuous British decolonization of Yemen in nineteen sixty-seven. After a brief return to Yemen in his twenties, he relocated to London to pursue a PhD in English, eventually making Canada his home.

Al-Solaylee's literary journey began with his debut book, Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes, published in two thousand twelve. This poignant memoir explores his experiences as a gay man in the Middle East and garnered critical acclaim, earning nominations for prestigious awards such as the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and the Lambda Literary Award in the Gay Memoir/Biography category.

In addition to his writing, Al-Solaylee has made significant contributions to journalism in Canada, with his work featured in notable publications including The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and The Walrus. He currently serves as the director of the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media at the University of British Columbia.

His second book, Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (To Everyone), released in two thousand sixteen, was also recognized with nominations for the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction and won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing in two thousand seventeen. In two thousand twenty-one, he published his third book, Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From, which reflects his deep yearning to return to Yemen and features interviews with others who share similar sentiments.