Not sponsored. Nobody paid to be featured and there are no affiliate links in this article. We share these links to support Canadian authors, creators, businesses and causes.
Key points
- Palestinian Canadian poet and novelist, born in Jerusalem, lives in Toronto
- Seven Heavens Away (House of Anansi Press) is a 2026 Writers' Trust Fiction Prize finalist
- Has published four poetry collections in Arabic
- Holds a PhD in water resource engineering and an MFA in creative writing
Ashraf Zaghal was born and raised in Jerusalem and now lives in Toronto. A Palestinian Canadian poet and novelist, he has spent years writing poetry in Arabic and building bridges between languages. His novel Seven Heavens Away, published by House of Anansi Press in 2026, is one of five finalists for the 2026 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. The winner will be announced in Toronto on November 10.
A poet across languages
Before Seven Heavens Away, Zaghal published four collections of poetry in Arabic. His work has been translated into English, French and Hebrew. He also edits an online magazine devoted to progressive literature and translation, giving space to writing that crosses borders.
His education spans two very different fields. He holds a PhD in water resource engineering from the University of Guelph, and an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. That combination, a scientist’s attention to systems and a poet’s attention to words, is a reminder that writers come to the page from many directions.
Seven Heavens Away
The novel follows Aziz, a Palestinian teenager living in Jerusalem in 2015, along with his family and community. It is a coming-of-age story told from close inside a young person’s mind, set in a place and time marked by danger.
The Writers’ Trust jury, made up of writers David Chariandy, Conor Kerr and Kathleen Winter, called it a “compelling story” that “is revealed in prose eloquent and substantial.” They wrote that the book “exhibits a miracle of tenderness in a harsh and perilous surround,” and praised it for “treasuring the protagonist’s young internal voice within its larger, older cultural context.”
In other words, this is a book about a teenager first. It gives Aziz room to be curious, loving and young, even as the world around him is anything but gentle.
On the Writers’ Trust shortlist
The Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize is one of the most important awards for fiction in Canada. In 2026 the winner receives $70,000, and each finalist receives $7,500. Zaghal shares the shortlist with Zak Jones, Téa Mutonji, Lisa Robertson and Blair Palmer Yoxall. The winner will be named at the Writers’ Trust Awards on November 10, 2026.
Why he inspires
Zaghal’s story speaks to the many Canadians who carry more than one language and more than one home. He has kept writing in Arabic, opened his work to readers in other languages and now offers Canadian readers a novel that brings a Jerusalem childhood vividly to life. His recognition this fall shows how much newcomers add to the country’s literature.
Where to learn more
You can read his author page and the full jury citation on the Writers’ Trust of Canada website. Seven Heavens Away is available from House of Anansi Press and at bookstores across Canada.
Find the book on the House of Anansi Press website.
Questions and answers
What is Seven Heavens Away about?
It follows Aziz, a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem in 2015, along with his family and community. The jury praised how it holds on to his young inner voice within a larger cultural setting.
What else has Ashraf Zaghal written?
He has published four poetry collections in Arabic, and his work has been translated into English, French and Hebrew. He also edits an online magazine focused on progressive literature and translation.
Has Seven Heavens Away won the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize?
Not yet. It is a finalist for the 2026 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and the winner will be announced on November 10, 2026.
