Habuba Haddad: Founder of al-Hayah al-Jadidah

Born in the Shouf, Mount Lebanon, Habuba Haddad quickly became one of the most esteemed women of her time; she was a writer, journalist, and an anchor(1) Naguib al-Ba’ney, صحافيات لبنانيات رائدات واديبات مبدعات, Beirut, Nofal, 2007, p. 108.. She founded the monthly magazine, al-Hayah al-Jadidah (The New Life), in 1921, and published it in Beirut in 1922, where it was distributed for five years. She was a member of the Journalists’ Syndicate in Paris (established in 1921)(2)Naguib al-Ba’ney, صحافيات لبنانيات رائدات واديبات مبدعات, Beirut, Nofal, 2007, p. 107. She opened her house for literary, journalistic, and political discussions, turning it into a salon from 1921-1930(3)Naguib al-Ba’ney, صحافيات لبنانيات رائدات واديبات مبدعات, Beirut, Nofal, 2007, p. 119. Her salon became a destination for many literary figures of the time, including Salma Sa’igh, Mary Yanni, and Julya Tu’mah Dimashqiyyah(4)Jūzīf Zaydān,  Arab Women Novelists: The Formative Years and Beyond, Albany, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1995, page 55.In her recent life, she was awarded the National Order of the Cedar, one of the highest honorary orders in Lebanon.