about

Saleem Haddad was born in Kuwait City to an Iraqi-German mother and a Palestinian-Lebanese father. His critically acclaimed first novel, Guapa (2016), was awarded both a Stonewall Honour and the Polari Prize. His writing spans novels, short stories, essays, film, and television. His directorial debut, Marco, premiered in 2019 and was nominated for the Iris Prize for ‘Best British Short Film’. His writing has been supported by institutions such as Yaddo and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin. His second novel, Floodlines, published in February 2026, was listed by the New Yorker as one of the best books of 2026 so far. With roots in Amman, Beirut, and London, he currently lives in Lisbon with his partner and two border collies.

Saleem Haddad is represented by Anjali Singh at Ayesha Pande Literary and is the Fiction Editor at The Markaz Review.