Samah Sabawi

What the critics say

On Cactus Pear for My Beloved

“Samah Sabawi’s storytelling is wonderfully, dextrously agile.”
— Christos Tsiolkas. Penguin Books Australia

“Sabawi’s Cactus Pear For My Beloved is profound, humane and unforgettable.” 2025 NSW Literary Awards judges.

“If there’s a more important or timely book in 2024, I’m yet to come across it. Five big shiny stars.” Sarah Kraus, Good Reading, on Cactus Pear for My Beloved. Good Reading Magazine

“A love story for the ages, a poet’s remarkable journey, a profound act of resistance.”
— 2025 Stella Prize judges. The Stella Prize

On THEM

“A drama dappled with humanity and humour amid the horrors of war.”
— The Sydney Morning Herald, quoted by Currency Press. Them

“There is no amount of praise that is sufficient to heap on Samah Sabawi’s writing and Bagryana Popov’s directing.” Irene Bell, The Music, on THEM

On Tales of a City by the Sea

“This gripping play is an act of resistance that implores its audience to take heed.”
— The Age, quoted on the production’s website.

“The playwright’s remarkable sensitivity and artistry confers enormous authority on this portrayal of a beleaguered people.” Stephen Davenport, InDaily, on Tales of a City by the Sea.