Jalil Khazal (Arabic: جليل خزعل; born 1 January 1960) is an Iraqi poet, writer and a researcher specializing in literature and child education. Born in Baghdad, he has written more than 80 books for children and has composed tens of songs, theater plays, cartoons and animated films, shows, radio programs and television programs for children.
Education Khazal received a master's degree in Education and Psychology from the College of Education, University of Baghdad.
Career Khazal began publishing in the mid-1970s, and was writing thoughts, poems and stories for adults which were published in several local newspapers and magazines. Daily newspapers had allocated sections for children back then, so Jalil sent one of his poems and it was quickly published, and his poems were read on a television program that was about reading the daily newspapers. Khalil was encouraged and sent another poem, which was also published, which earned him a permanent place for writing in the children's sections. Hussein Qadroui had also sung one of Khazal's poems on TV, which was his start with children's songs. Two of his poems were also chosen to be included in the school curriculum for the primary stage, so he started specializing in writing for children. After graduating from university, he worked in teaching and was appointed editor at the Children's Culture House, after which he climbed the ranks until he got promoted and became editor-in-chief.
Khazal has published several children's books in the fields of poetry, stories, illustrated stories and scientific books, in addition to dozens of research papers, studies and press articles regarding children's literature and culture. He has also written dozens of songs, plays, animated films, and radio and television series.
Khazal held the position of managing editor of the magazine "Majalati" for children at the Children's Culture House in Baghdad, "Habibi" magazine and director of the publishing department in the same house, and "Mizmar" magazine.
He also supervised the children's section in the Iraqi magazine "IMN", issued by the Iraqi Media Network Al Iraqiya. He also became the head of the Children's Literature Club in the General Union of Writers and Writers in Iraq, as well as the Research and Studies Department at the Institute of Music Studies of the Department of Musical Arts in the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, and he is the founder and an official of the Childhood Research Unit at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
As an academic, he worked as a lecturer for children's literature in the Kindergarten Department of the College of Education for Girls at the University of Baghdad, and his texts are taught in the curriculum of kindergarten and primary stages, institutes and universities in Iraq and other Arab countries.
Khazal has won many local and Arab awards for his literary works for children. His works have been printed in most countries of the Arab world, and have been translated into English, German, Italian, Kurdish, Persian and Japanese. He was chosen among three distinguished poets in the world in 2018, where three of his poems were published in the book "The Year of the Poet 2018" in the United States after being translated into English.
Memberships
Member of the Union of Iraqi Writers and Writers Member of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate Member of the Union of Arab Writers and Writers Member of the Union of Arab Journalists Member of the International Federation of Journalists Member of the Iraqi Teachers Syndicate Member of the Iraqi Musicians Union Member of the National Committee for Education Member and founder of the Iraqi Centre for Children's Culture, Baghdad
Awards and honours Khazal is the record holder in the number of creativity awards granted by the Ministry of Culture in Iraq.
First Prize, Child Song Contest, Baghdad, 1977. First Prize, Child Welfare Authority, Children's Poetry, Baghdad, 1994. Creativity Award in Children's Literature, Ministry of Culture, Baghdad 1998. Creativity Award in Children's Literature, Ministry of Culture, Baghdad 1999. Creativity Award in Children's Literature, Ministry of Culture, Baghdad 2000. Creativity Award in Children's Literature, Ministry of Culture, Baghdad 2001. Silver Award, Cairo International Festival, 2002, for a group of songs and animated films. First Prize, Competition of the First Martyr Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr, Children's Poetry, 2008. Children's Poetry Award, House of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Culture, 2012. First prize, competition of the Arab Theater Authority in Sharjah, competition for writing theatrical text directed to the child, 2013, for his text "The Gift of the Bird". Best Words and Poems Award, Al Husseini Little Festival for the Fifth Child Theater, Karbala, 2019. First Prize, Animation Forum, Cairo, 2019, for the movie "The Dream of Olives" (Jalil Khazal wrote the lyrics of his songs). Second prize, English Language Olympiad, Amman, 2019, for the Mermaid play.
Writings NumberBookPublication datePublisherNumber of pagesISBNNotesSource1Microscope (Arabic: mujhar)1986Children's Culture House222Rainbow Series: Part 1: How We Grow
(Arabic: silsilat qaws qazah: aljuz' 1: kayf nanmu)1995"Dar Al-shams”
“Dar Al-Jeel for printing, publishing and distribution”3Rainbow Series: Part 2: One Day
(Arabic: silsilat qaws qazah: j 2: yawm min al'ayaam)1995"Dar Al-shams" “Dar Al-Jeel for printing, publishing and distribution”4Birds (Arabic: easafir)1995Children's Culture House315The Most precious thing I have (Arabic: 'aghlaa ma eindi)1996Children's Culture House316Rainy Cloud (Arabic: alghayma almatira)1996Children's Culture House7The tale of the mouse sesame (Arabic: hikayat alfar simsam)1998
2013"Child World Development Foundation"30Nadim Mohsen's drawings8Maha's birthday (Arabic: eid milad maha)2000"Child World Development Foundation"9Hanan2001Arab Writers Union10We sing and count (Arabic: nughniy wa nahsib)200211Personal Photo (Arabic: sura shakhsia)2002"Al Khansa Printing Company”12Sing and love (Arabic: ghanu wahib)2002"Al Khansa Printing Company”13Our beautiful anthems (Arabic: 'anashiduna aljamila)2002"Al-Ula Press"3214Engineering family (Arabic: eayilat alhandasa)2002"Al Khansa Printing Company”15For better health and growth (Arabic: lsht w nmwin 'afdal)2003" Italian Terre des Hommes”16For better breastfeeding (Arabic: min 'ajl ridaea 'afdal)2003" Italian Terre des Hommes”17Where has my shadow fled? (Arabic: 'ayn harab zali?)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”18Foxes and the sea monster
(Arabic: thuelub wawahsh albahr)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”19I'm a Muslim (Arabic: 'ana Muslim)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”3020The lost gift (Arabic: alhadia almafquda)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”23Illustrated by Atheer Sate, coloring by Lama Abbas21The locust and the bee (Arabic: aljarada walnahla)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”40Illustrated by Bashar Khawam, coloring by Lama Abbas22Who will play with me? (Arabic: man sayaleab maei?)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”Illustrated by Atheer Sate23The khaki duck (Arabic: albata kaky)2004"Dar Al-kitab Al-hadith”Illustrated by
Riyad Jalil24The tournament cup (Arabic: kas albutula)2005"Lana" Association25The cities cubs (Arabic: 'ashbal almadina)2005"Lana" Association26The perfect team (Arabic: alfariq almithaliu)2006"Lana" Association27Real friends (Arabic: al'asdiqa' alhaqiqiuwn)2006"Lana" Association28The useful lesson (Arabic: aldars almufid)2006"Lana" Association29We sing with the rooster (Arabic: nughni mae aldiyk)2006"Oma Organization"30Thank you, thank you merciful (Arabic: hmdan, hmdan ya rahman)2006"Dar Al-hada’iq”31A drop of water tells its story (Arabic: qatrat ma' tarwi hikayataha)2007"Ministry of Sports and Youth”32Our rights (Arabic: huququna)2007"Ministry of Sports and Youth”33Words (Arabic: kalimat)2008Children's Culture House34Flower bouquet (Arabic: baqat ward)2012Children's Culture House35What a beautiful pigeons! (Arabic: ma 'ajmal alhamami!)2013"Dar Al-Buraq”36Two winds (Arabic: riahayn)201337Two flowers (Arabic: warudatan)201338Princess Baghdad (Arabic: al'amira baghdad)2013Children's Culture House39Concepts 1 (Arabic: almafahim 1)2013"Al-Horoof Publishing House”44Educational group: With Malak Obaid, illustrated by Diana Shamma40Concepts 2 (Arabic: almafahim 2)2013"Al-Horoof Publishing House”44Educational group: With Malak Obaid, illustrated by Diana Shamma41Letters Family 1 (Arabic: eayilat alhuruf 1)2013"Kalimat Group for Publishing and Distribution”62Educational group: with Malak Obaid, illustrated by Maya Fidawi42Letters Family 2 (Arabic: eayilat alhuruf 2)2013"Kalimat Group for Publishing and Distribution”62Educational group: with Malak Obaid, illustrated by Maya Fidawi43Letters Family 3 (Arabic: eayilat alhuruf 3)2013"Kalimat Group for Publishing and Distribution”60Educational group: with Malak Obaid, illustrated by Maya Fidawi44Who challenges the rabbit? (Arabic: mn yatahadaa al'arnab)2014"Child Culture Center”Lubna Taha's drawings45Dreams (Arabic: 'ahlam)2014"Dar Al Banan for Printing, Publishing and Distribution”24Rima Koussa's drawings46Tooth brush (Arabic: firshat al'asnan)2014"Dar Al-Jawadin”47Where were you (Arabic: 'ayn kunt)2014With Mohammed Al-Thaher48Hygiene butterfly (Arabic: farashat alnazafa)2014"The Ministry of Education in cooperation with a Japanese children’s organization”49Enriched beads (Arabic: kharaz mughanna)201550Where does the locust sleep (Arabic: 'ayn tanam aljarada)2015"Child Culture Center”