[2] Al-Sharif was born and raised in a devout Muslim family in Damascus, Syria,[3][4] although her father was from Gaza.
[6][4] Al-Sharif, who had been teaching herself English for years, first began writing for American, Australian, and Israeli publications.
[3][7] Also in 2019, al-Sharif spent two nights in jail after being arrested for holding an event at her home with both men and women as guests.
[6] She spent some of this time in solitary confinement, and went on a two-week hunger strike to protest the prison conditions.
[6] As of 2023, she was living in the United Arab Emirates still navigating the complex diplomatic channels that will allow her to attend university in Canada.