Charles Corm

Charles Corm (1894–1963) was a Lebanese writer, industrialist, and philanthropist. He is considered to be the leader of the Phoenicianism movement in Lebanon, which ignited a surge of nationalism that led to Lebanon's independence. In a country torn by sectarian conflicts, his intention was to find a common root shared by all Lebanese beyond their religious beliefs. At the age of 40, he quit a successful business empire to dedicate his time to writing and philanthropy. In addition to his prolific literary legacy that can now be found in most libraries and universities around the world, Charles Corm left one of the most substantial fortunes in the Middle East. Rushdy Maalouf, the father of Académie Française member and Francophone novelist Amin Maalouf, wrote: "Charles was the first one to show us how to love Lebanon, how to chant and rhapsodize Lebanon, how to vaunt and defend Lebanon, and how to become master-builders of this Lebanon."

His La Montagne Inspirée ("The Sacred Mountain" in English), earned him the Edgar Allan Poe International Prize of Poetry in 1934. Additionally, Corm, whose father Daoud Corm was a teacher and mentor to the young Khalil Gibran, was the French translator of Gibran's English masterpiece The Prophet. the headquarters for his company, in a nod to the skyscrapers being built in America at the time. The building was erected in 1929 in Beirut, later becoming the Corm family home. In 1934, at age 40, he left business for a life of literature and philanthropy.

Back in Beirut's golden years, Rushdy Maalouf also noted that it was not unusual for artists, intellectuals and business, political and cultural figures visiting Lebanon for the first time to have Charles Corm and his home, which hosted grandiose parties, on their itinerary of people and places to see: "they visited Lebanon seeking Charles Corm the same way some of us may visit Athens to see the Acropolis. This is the veneration that many, Lebanese and foreigners alike, held for Charles Corm and is so present in his mystique". La Montagne Inspirée, Edgar Allan Poe International Poetry Prize 1934 (translated into English under the title "The Sacred Mountain") 6000 ans de Génie Pacifique au Service de l'Humanité (translated into English under the title "6000 Years of Peaceful Contributions to Mankind") Contes Erotiques (translated into English under the title "Erotic Tales") Les Cahiers de l'Enfant Sonnets Adolescents La Montagne Parfumée L'Eternel Féminin Médaillons en Musique de l'Ame Libanaise Petite Cosmogonie Sentimentale La Planète Exaltée Le Mystère de l'Amour La Symphonie de la Lumière La Terre Assassinée ou Les Ciliciennes Le Volcan Embrasé

Honors and awards

Edgar Allan Poe International Prize of Poetry 1934. Citizen of Honor of New York City, USA. Medal of Honor of the Académie Française 1950, France. Fellow of the Royal Society, England. Grand Commander of the American International Academy, USA. Commander of the Order of Human Merit, Switzerland. Commander of the Humanitarian Society of Belgium. Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar, Lebanon. Grand Officer of the French Poets' Society. Grand Officer of the Order of Saint Brigite, Sweden. Grand Officer of the Italian Academic Order, Italy. Grand Officer of the Instituto Panamericana de Culture, Argentina. Grand Officer of the Academia de Bellas Artes, Spain. Grand Officer of the Sociedade Brasileira de Civismo, Brazil. Grand Officer of the Casa Americana, Peru. Gold Medal of New York City for Distinguished Services, USA.