Research Guides: Resources on Contemporary Literature and Film of the Arab World: Biographical Resources

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BIOGRAPHICAL RESOURCES

The following sources are good places to look for biographical information on Arabic authors and filmmakers.

Twentieth Century Arab Writers
The articles in this reference book provide in-depth analysis of the lives and works of major Arab authors of the twentieth century.

Gale Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
This database is a major source for finding the full text online of articles containing biographical information about authors from around the world, as well as critical assessments of their works.

Arab Filmmakers of the Middle East
This reference work contains brief articles on the makers of fictional feature films and documentaries from the Arab Middle East.
Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers
In addition to articles on Arab women filmmakers and discussions of important films, this encyclopedia also covers the political and social background of the Arab countries in which they worked.
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers
This online reference book provides articles on the lives and careers of major film directors, writers, actors, actresses, and other production artists from around the world.

Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
This database is a good one to try for biographical information on people who are not included in any of the sources listed above. It contains full-text articles from subject encyclopedias on over 500,000 people from all walks of life and from all times and places. Links are also provided to additional full-text biographical information in articles from magazines, newspapers, web pages, and multimedia resources.