Yumna Kassab

Yumna Kassab is an Australian novelist. She was appointed the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature for 2024.

Yumna Kassab was born and grew up at Parramatta.^[1] She spent two years of her childhood in Lebanon with her family.^[2] After studying at Macquarie University she worked as a high school teacher.^[2]

Her first book, The House of Youssef, published in 2019, contains short stories of Lebanese migrants living in Western Sydney.^[3] Reviewing the book for ArtsHub, Georgia Brough described it as a "stunning, succinct collection of short fiction".^[4]

In December 2023 Kassab was announced as the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature.^[1]

• The House of Youssef
  • Stella Prize, longlisted 2020^[5]
  • Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, shortlisted 2020^[6]
  • Steele Rudd Award, Queensland Literary Awards, shortlisted 2020^[7]
  • Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, shortlisted 2020^[8]
  • Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction, shortlisted 2020^[9]
• Australiana
  • Fiction Book Award, Queensland Literary Awards, shortlisted 2022^[10]
• The Lovers
  • Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction, shortlisted 2023^[11]
  • Miles Franklin Literary Award, shortlisted 2023^[12]
  • Fiction, Prime Minister's Literary Awards, shortlisted 2023^[13]
• Politica
  • Fiction Book Award, Queensland Literary Awards, shortlisted 2024^[14]

• Kassab, Yumna (2019). The House of Youssef. Giramondo. ISBN 9781925818192.
• —— (2022). Australiana. Ultimo Press. ISBN 9781761150609.
• —— (2022). The Lovers. Ultimo Press. ISBN 9781761150623.
• —— (2024). Politica. Artarmon: Giramondo. ISBN 9781761152009.