Nathalie Handal is an award-winning poet, playwright, and writer.  She is teaching a course, Middle East through Literature and Theatre, during the fall 2009 semester for the Middle East Studies program.  Also, she participated in Semana Poetica VII: International Poetry Festival at Dickinson College in October, 2009.

Nathalie has lived in Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Arab world.  Her most recent books include: Language for  New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia & Beyond (W.W. Norton, 2008), co-editor, and the forthcoming poetry book, Love and Strange Horses (University of Pittsburg Press).  She has been involved either as a writer, director or producer in over twenty theatrical and/or film productions worldwide.  She was a finalist for the 2009 A Room of Her Own's Freedom Award.