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2020 Bombeck workshop faculty Diana Abu-Jaber

Diana Abu-Jaber

After parents asked her to recommend books about Arab-American families, Diana Abu-Jaber wrote Silverworld, a fantasy with an Arab-American girl at its heart that was published this spring from Crown Books/Random House. Diana often writes about the intersection of food, family and cultural identity. Her memoir, Life Without A Recipe, was described by Ruth Reichl as “bold and luscious.” The Language of Baklava, her first memoir, has been published in many languages. Her latest novel, Birds Of Paradise, won the Arab-American National Book Award. Her other novels include Origin, Crescent and Arabian Jazz.

Fencing With the King, a novel of Middle Eastern intrigue and suspense, will be published in 2022 from W.W. Norton.

Diana teaches at Portland State University and lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.