Hussein Arif

Hussein Arif (1936, Slemani, Kurdistan) is an iconic Kurdish short story writer and novelist. His great grandfathers migrated from Qalachwalan district to Slemani after the city was established in 1784 under the rule of Baban emirate. Notably, his mother was the daughter of Mullah Ahmad, also known as “The Tea-Server Mullah,” who was the pioneer in bringing tea from Iran to Slemani. He has worked as a lawyer for decades, and was a member of the Parliament of Kurdistan as well as the Union of Kurdish Writers. Hussein Arif’s “Sweet Tea” is widely regarded as one of the finest Kurdish short stories.