May Ziadeh Collection, 1920s-1930s
May Ziadeh (1886–1941) was a Lebanese Palestinian poet and writer and one of the leading voices of the Arab literary renaissance (Nahda). Ziadeh was frequently invited to academic institutions among them the American University of Beirut, where she delivered multiple lectures. Her first talk at AUB took place in December 1922, while her last visit was on December 20, 1938, when she spoke on “The Strength and Weakness in Our Spiritual Life.” Her letters poignantly reflect the suffering and personal hardships she endured throughout her life.
