Kathryn Abdul-baki was born in Washington DC to an Arab father and an American mother. She grew up in Iran, Kuwait, Beirut, and Jerusalem, where she attended Arabic, British, and American schools. She attended the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, has a BA in journalism from George Washington University in Washington DC, and an MA in creative writing from George Mason University, Virginia. She has published four books of fiction, some of which have been taught at universities in multicultural literature, women’s studies, and Arab studies departments, and is the recipient of the Mary Roberts Rinehart award for short fiction. Abdul-baki has three grown children and currently resides with her husband in McLean, Virginia.