Gilbert Chamaa was born in Beirut, Lebanon to Joseph Chamaa, a revered violinist, and Jeannette Chamaa. His lifelong conversations with his father about religion, art, music, and philosophy were the foundations for his view of the world. Gilbert found an outlet in literature and majored in English at University of California at Berkeley with a focus on Shakespeare. Due to his multicultural background, Gilbert is fluent in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish, which brings a fresh and insightful understanding to his literary expression.