Biography
Hala Khalaf, Author
Young Voices: Life with Diabetes
Hala Khalaf is a freelance journalist whose writing has focused on how culture influences the daily lives of people living around the globe. Her experience, knowledge and global insights belie the fact that she is only 24 years old.
Born in Kuwait, Hala began her journalism career in Canada at the University of Waterloo where she worked as a reporter, photographer, proof-reader and eventually editor of the campus newspaper Imprint. After graduating, Hala moved to Jordan where she worked as a freelance writer for national Jordanian publications, including The Star weekly newspaper and the monthly magazines Jo and Living Well. At The Star, she had a weekly column entitled Street Rhythm, in which she commented on the cultural beat and daily life of people living in Jordan.
In 2004, Hala was awarded the Novo Nordisk Media Prize for her article "The Truth About Diabetes" (Jo, March 2004). The award is given to the best article on diabetes and is evaluated by an independent international jury. This article was also a finalist for the Inquirer Award 2004.
After winning the prize, Hala embarked on the adventure of her life – a trip around the world to eight countries on four continents. The goal of this journey was to interview 13 children from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, but all with one thing in common – they all have diabetes. The result was the photographic and narrative book Young Voices: Life with Diabetes.
While writing is her passion, Hala also dedicates her time to teaching children. In the summer of 2001, she travelled to Lebanon where she volunteered as an English teacher at Palestinian refugee camps. She also teaches music classes for children in nursery schools and kindergartens and gives piano lessons to young children.
Today, Hala continues to work as a freelance journalist as well as an external consultant for Novo Nordisk A/S. She is a proud member of the youth panel set up by Novo Nordisk to raise awareness about diabetes worldwide.
Hala graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2003 with a BA Honours degree in English & Rhetoric and Professional Writing. Before that she obtained her Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) diploma in Piano Performance from England; she also has a Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate from Canada.
