Samah Sabawi is an author, playwright and poet and a recipient of multiple awards both nationally and internationally. Her theatre credits include the critically acclaimed and award-winning plays Tales of a City by the Sea and THEM. In 2020 Samah received the prestigious Green Room Award for Best Writing in the independent theatre category, and was shortlisted for both the NSW and Victorian Premiere Literary Awards. Samah co-edited along with Stephen Orlov the anthology Double Exposure: Plays of the Jewish and Palestinian Diasporas, winner of the Patrick O’Neill Award and she co-authored I Remember My Name: Poetry by Samah Sabawi, Ramzy Baroud and Jehan Bseiso, edited by Vacy Vlazna, winner of the Palestine Book Award. Host the webinar/podcast series The Book Room, Samah received a Doctor of Philosophy from Victoria University for her thesis titled Inheriting Exile, transgenerational trauma and the Palestinian Australian Identity.
Awards and Honors
Victoria University
Doctor Of Philosophy (Jun 2020)
Green Room Award for Writing (THEM)
INDEPENDENT THEATRE AWARD FOR WRITING.
Griffith University
Masters in Communication (Feb 2016)
Green Room Award nomination for THEM
Green Room Award nomination for Independent Theatre: Ensemble THEM (April 2020)
Green Room Award nomination for THEM
Green Room Award nomination for Independent Theatre: Production THEM (April 2020)
NSW Premier Literary Awards (April 2020)
Shortlist NICK ENRIGHT PRIZE FOR PLAYWRITING THEM
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards
Shortlist Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2020 THEM
Biennial Patrick O’Neill Award 2017
Biennial Patrick O’Neill Award 2017 Best Play Anthology Double Exposure: Plays of the Jewish and Palestinian Diaspora from the Canadian Association for Theatre Research.
Green Room Award nomination for Tales of a City by the Sea
Green Room Award nomination Best Independent Production Tales of a City by the Sea (2017)
Drama Victoria Award
Drama Victoria Award – Best production for VCE drama 2016 for Tales of a City by the Sea
Drama Victoria Award
Drama Victoria Award – Best publication for VCE drama 2016 for Tales of a City by the Sea
Palestine Book Award
Palestine Book Award Creative Category 2016 for I Remember My Name poetry by Samah Sabawi, Ramzy Baroud and Jehan Bseiso
Australian Muslim Achievements Awards
Australian Muslim Achievements Award Creative Artist of the Year 2016