The Most Famous
WRITERS from Jordan
Top 7
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Jordanian Writers of all time. This list of famous Jordanian Writers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Menippus (290 BC - 260 BC)
With an HPI of 69.12, Menippus is the most famous Jordanian Writer. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages on wikipedia.
Menippus of Gadara (; Greek: Μένιππος ὁ Γαδαρεύς Menippos ho Gadareus; fl. 3rd century BC) was a Cynic satirist. The Menippean satire genre is named after him. His works, all of which are lost, were an important influence on Varro and Lucian, who ranks Menippus with Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Crates as among the most notable of the Cynics.
2. Meleager of Gadara (130 BC - 60 BC)
With an HPI of 62.50, Meleager of Gadara is the 2nd most famous Jordanian Writer. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Meleager of Gadara (Ancient Greek: Μελέαγρος Meleagros; fl. 1st century BC) was a poet and collector of epigrams. He wrote some satirical prose, now lost, and some sensual poetry, of which 134 epigrams survive.
3. Samih al-Qasim (1939 - 2014)
With an HPI of 57.31, Samih al-Qasim is the 3rd most famous Jordanian Writer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Samīħ al-Qāsim al Kaissy (Arabic: سميح القاسم; Hebrew: סמיח אל קאסם; 1939 – August 19, 2014) was a Palestinian poet with Israeli citizenship whose work is well known throughout the Arab world. He was born in Transjordan and later lived in Mandatory Palestine and Israel. Before the Six-Day War in 1967 he was mainly influenced by Arab nationalism; after the war he joined the Israeli Communist Party.
4. Abdul Rahman Munif (1933 - 2004)
With an HPI of 56.33, Abdul Rahman Munif is the 4th most famous Jordanian Writer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Abdul Rahman bin Ibrahim al-Munif (Arabic: عَبْد الرَّحْمٰن بِن إِبْرَاهِيم المُنِيف; May 29, 1933 – January 24, 2004), also known as Abdelrahman Munif, was a novelist, short story writer, memoirist, journalist, thinker, and cultural critic. He is considered one of the most significant authors in the Arabic language of the 20th century. His novels include strong political elements as well as mockeries of the Middle Eastern elite classes. He is best-known for Cities of Salt, a quintet of novels about how the discovery of oil transformed a traditional Bedouin culture. Munif's work offended the rulers of Saudi Arabia, which led to the banning of many of his books and the revocation of his Saudi Arabian citizenship.
5. Nahed Hattar (1960 - 2016)
With an HPI of 47.17, Nahed Hattar is the 5th most famous Jordanian Writer. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Nahed Hattar (Arabic: ناهض حتر Nāhiḍ Ḥattar [na:hidˤ ħɑt.taɾˤ]; 1960 – 25 September 2016) was a Jordanian writer and political activist. On September 25, 2016, he was shot dead outside the court as he arrived at the trial for sharing a caricature that was viewed as insulting religious beliefs.
6. Lama Abu-Odeh (b. 1962)
With an HPI of 42.04, Lama Abu-Odeh is the 6th most famous Jordanian Writer. Her biography has been translated into 14 different languages.
Lama Abu-Odeh (Arabic: لمى أبو عودة, born 1962) is a Palestinian-American professor and author who teaches at the Georgetown University Law Center. She has written on Islamic law, feminism, and family law. Abu-Odeh was born in Amman, Jordan. She is the daughter of Adnan Abu-Odeh, a former senator in the Jordanian House of Parliament and ambassador. She earned her LL.B. from the University of Jordan, her LL.M. from the University of Bristol, England, her MA from the University of York, England, and her S.J.D. from Harvard University. She has taught at Stanford Law School and worked for the World Bank's Middle East/North Africa division. Abu-Odeh has also written on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has voiced support for binationalism and a one-state solution.
7. Suheir Hammad (b. 1973)
With an HPI of 37.96, Suheir Hammad is the 7th most famous Jordanian Writer. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Suheir Hammad (Arabic: سهير حماد) (born October 25, 1973) is an American poet, author, and political activist.
People
Pantheon has 7 people classified as Jordanian writers born between 290 BC and 1973. Of these 7, 2 (28.57%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Jordanian writers include Lama Abu-Odeh, and Suheir Hammad. The most famous deceased Jordanian writers include Menippus, Meleager of Gadara, and Samih al-Qasim. As of April 2024, 2 new Jordanian writers have been added to Pantheon including Lama Abu-Odeh, and Suheir Hammad.
Living Jordanian Writers
Go to all RankingsDeceased Jordanian Writers
Go to all Rankings
Menippus
290 BC - 260 BC
HPI: 69.12
Meleager of Gadara
130 BC - 60 BC
HPI: 62.50
Samih al-Qasim
1939 - 2014
HPI: 57.31
Abdul Rahman Munif
1933 - 2004
HPI: 56.33
Nahed Hattar
1960 - 2016
HPI: 47.17
Newly Added Jordanian Writers (2025)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Writers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Writers since 1700.
