The First Well 1

Published by Dar Al-Adab, The First Well: Chapters from an Autobiography (Part One) (Al-Bi'r Al-Ula) by renowned Palestinian novelist, critic, and translator Jabra Ibrahim Jabra is a classic of modern Arabic memoir literature. The narrative chronicles Jabra's formative childhood years spent between Bethlehem and Jerusalem during the 1920s and 1930s. Jabra employs the metaphor of "the first well" to represent the foundational source of memory, sensory impressions, and emotional depth from which every artist draws throughout life. Through lush, nostalgic prose, he paints an intimate picture of his family's modest home life, his early schooling, and his awakenings to literature, painting, and religious traditions. It stands as both a poignant self-portrait of a budding intellectual and a valuable cultural record of Palestine prior to the 1948 catastrophe.

It offers a captivating and poetic glimpse into the childhood of a titan of Arab letters, serving as a masterclass in autobiographical writing that celebrates memory, art, and the innocence of early discovery.

Ideal for lovers of translated Arabic memoirs, readers of Jabra Ibrahim Jabra’s literary canon, and scholars interested in Palestinian social history, childhood narratives, and artistic development.