Prohvet khalil gibran biography
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Haskell became Gibran’s lifelong patron, paying for him to study art at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1908. In 1923, Knopf published what would become Gibran’s most famous work, The Prophet. At a lunch in the Village, Gibran met Alfred Knopf, who would become his publisher. In 1904, he enjoyed an exhibition of his drawings at Day's studio, and he began writing a weekly column for the Arabic newspaper al-Mohajer. Gibran drew a following for his "prose poems," which were more accessible than traditional Arabic works and explored themes of loneliness and a loss of connection to nature.
Kahlil Gibran
(1883-1931)
Who Was Kahlil Gibran?
Kahlil Gibran moved to the United States in 1895 and was exposed to Boston's artistic community. It sold out its modest 1300 copies within the first month, surprising even its publisher Alfred A. Knopf who upon reflection some years later didn't think anyone would read it.
About this, the translator and Middle East historian Juan Cole said, “Many people turned away from the establishment of the Church to Gibran. It was through Day that Gibran’s artwork attracted the attention of a woman nine years his senior named Mary Haskell, who ran an all-girls school. The Prophet asks us to take the inward journey, because there, ultimately is where Beauty, Freedom, and Love, live; hidden from the futile pursuit of one's existential thoughts.
Centered on the character of Almustafa, a holy man set to return home after 12 years in exile, the book expounds on matters of love, sorrow and religion over 26 poetic essays. Arguably today, The Prophet is perhaps the worlds first 'self-help' book to reach the masses, its US sales alone number over 10 million copies and has inspired countless other works and authors. A 2017 study made and published by the Kahlil Gibran Collective, found The Prophet has been translated in as many as 115 languages.
As a Poet-Painter, Kahlil Gibran has left an undeniable legacy that places him in the upper echelons of world literature earning him the title 'a champion of human rights' and 'a forerunner of peace and reconciliation'. His short life was driven by creating art that expressed the deeper verities, emphasizing the importance of a unified humanity, with shared values, and peace at its core.
His mother supported the family as a seamstress and by peddling linens.
At the age of 15, Gibran was sent by his mother to Beirut, Lebanon, to attend a Maronite school. These issues test the limits of our resilience, forcing us to confront our shared humanity and our responsibilities to one another.
The Prophet - An introduction.
Just shy of 20,000 words, philosophical in nature and mystical in tone, The Prophet was first published in September of 1923 costing $2.25.
In that year and the one that followed, Gibran’s sister, Sultana, half-brother, Bhutros, and mother died of tuberculosis and cancer, respectively. Unable to reach a consensus on how to distribute the money, the people of Bsharri engaged in a bitter dispute that stretched out for decades, before the Lebanese government stepped in to put the matter to rest.
Often dismissed by critics during his lifetime, Gibran eventually became the third-best-selling poet of all time, behind William Shakespeare and Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu.
Thanks in large part to the diaries kept by Mary Haskell, biographers have been able to uncover extensive details of the writer's life before he became famous. He was steered to photographer and publisher Fred Holland Day, who nurtured Gibran's talents and introduced him to a wider artistic community.
At 15, Gibran returned to his home country to attend a Maronite school in Beirut, where he displayed an interest in poetry and founded a student magazine.
In it, you'll find reflections of Blake, the Bible, the Koran, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Romantics, married with schools of thought from the likes of Emerson, Whitman, Nietzsche, and Sufi mysticism. It has graced the bookshelves of many from all walks of life and undoubtedly is one of the most gifted books in the world today.
Since its entry into the public domain in 2019, we have seen many new publications flourish in multiply languages.
First Edition online e-book.
In collaboration with the Gibran National Committee of Lebanon, we have digitized an original 1st edition (1923) copy of The Prophet with its 12 illustrations for online readers. The eBook is published with the full permission of the custodians of his works, The Gibran National Committee of Lebanon (GNC). http://www.gibrankhalilgibran.org/
N.B Although most of his written works are in the public domain, the illustrations and paintings in The Prophet remain the property of the GNC.
Any use or reproduction of these works will need to be authorized by the GNC.
THE PROPHET
(ebook)
by
Kahlil Gibran
The Prophet Online/ebook was created by The Kahlil Gibran Collective Inc. and is offered free of charge - please consider a small donation to download a personal copy.
Kahlil Gibran
Kahlil Gibran, known in Arabic as Gibran Khalil Gibran, was born January 6, 1883, in Bsharri, Lebanon, which at the time was part of Syria and part of the Ottoman Empire.