Maruf Khaznadar
Maruf Khaznadar or Marif Xeznedar, (1930–2010), is a contemporary Kurdish academic and writer. He was born in Erbil and received early education in Erbil and Kirkuk. He attended the College of Literature at the University of Baghdad and received his bachelor's degree in Arabic language and literature in 1957. From 1957 to 1959, he was working as a high school teacher in Kirkuk. In 1960, he was awarded a bursary to continue his studies at the Oriental Institute of Soviet Academy of Sciences in Leningrad and received his PhD in Kurdish literature in 1963. From 1963 to  1968, he worked as research associate at the same institute. In 1969, he began teaching at the Faculty of Literature of University of Baghdad and in 1972 he became head of its Kurdish Department and in 1979 he was promoted to the rank of Professor. From 1970 to 1974, he also served as the editor of Kurdish journals "Defteri Kurdewari" and "Nuseri Kurd". He has published numerous books and articles in Kurdish, Arabic and Russian languages. He died on October 25, 2010.