(1949- )

Born in Samawa,Iraq, al-Samawy graduated from al-Mustansyriah University in Baghdad. He worked in teaching, and in journalism.

His publications include the following books:

• Aynaki Donya

• Kasa`d fi Zaman Al-Saby wal Boka`a

• My heart of my Country

• A Pain as big as my country

• Songs of a drifter

• The Choice

• Rouba`yat

• Your eyes are my home and exile

• This is my tent… so where is my home?

• I closed my eyes upon you

• The horizon is my window

• Wild Lilies

• Inscriptions on the trunk of a palm

• A little bit of you… not much of them

His poems have been published in both the Arabic and Australian media. A selection of his poems have been translated into English by Eva Sallis, and published by Picaro Press under the title “Two Banks with No Bridge”. He also has poems that have been translated by Dr. Saleh Jawad Altema, Dr. Raghid Nahas, and Ann Forborne.

Al-Samawy has participated in Arab and international poetry festivals, and has been awarded a number of prizes for his work, among them: Jaezat Al Multaka Al-thakafy Al Araby in Abha, Yemen and Jaezat Ebn Turkey for recognition of poetic achievements, which was sponsored by the Union of Arabic Nations.

He currently lives in Australia