2013 PEN-OXFAM Novib award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (The Netherlands) 2012 PEN Tucholsky award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (Sweden) 2012 PEN Pinter award for “A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution” (UK) 2010 Selected in the “Beirut 39, Hay festival” selection of outstanding writers under 40 (Beirut) Samar Yazbek (Arabic: سمر يزبك, born 1970 in Jableh, Syria) is a Syrian writer and journalist.

In 2010, Yazbek was selected as one of the 39 most promising authors[1] under the age of 40, by Beirut39, a contest organized by the Hay Festival.

In 2011, she took part in the popular uprising against the Assad regime, and was forced into exile a few months later.

In 2012, she was chosen for the prestigious PEN/Pinter Prize International writer of courage award,[2][3] in recognition of her book A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution.

In 2016, Yazbek's literary narrative The Crossing was awarded the French “Best Foreign Book” prize.