Leila Barclay

Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon to an Iraqi mother and Palestinian father,^[1] Barclay had lived in Lebanon up until the Lebanese civil war began, leaving her to continue her studies in London.^[1] She later moved to the United States and gained both a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in German literature from the Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.^[2] Soon after she returned to Lebanon after graduating in 1982 and worked as a journalist in Beirut between the years 1982 to 1984 and produced a first issue entertainment guide for Lebanon; however, it failed to be published due to the circumstance of war.^[2]

Whilst returning to the States, she married David Barclay, whom she met at university. They both settled in New Jersey raising their four children.^[1]

• al-hakawati