author
Hariri
1054–1122
Best known for the dazzling Maqamat, this 11th-century writer turned language, wit, and storytelling into a kind of performance art. His tales are playful on the surface but packed with verbal skill, social observation, and literary showmanship.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born near Basra in 1054 and later active in the city itself, al-Hariri of Basra was an Arab poet, scholar of Arabic language and literature, and a government official. He died in Basra in 1122.
He is chiefly remembered for the Maqamat al-Hariri, a celebrated collection of fifty episodic tales known for their polished prose, clever wordplay, and rhetorical brilliance. The work follows a wandering trickster and a recurring narrator, blending humor, display of learning, and vivid scenes from everyday life.
For centuries, readers have admired al-Hariri as a master stylist. His writing became a landmark of classical Arabic literature, prized not only for its stories but also for the sheer virtuosity of its language.