Alberto Mussa was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1961. His father’s family originated from Lebanon and Palestine, and he explores Arab-Brazilian identity in his works. In addition to translating poetry and short stories, Mussa has written several novels about the history of Rio de Janeiro. He has won numerous awards, including the Premio Biblioteca Nacional for Queen Jinga’s Throne (1999) and the Casa de las Américas and APCA prizes for The Qaf’s Riddle (2004).