Muʿīn Basīsū (1930 [or 1927?]-1984) was a Palestinian poet, essayist, and dramatist. Born in Gaza, he graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1952 with a BA degree in literature and journalism. He taught in Iraq and then in Gaza, where he became principal of a preparatory school. Between 1955 and 1963, he was twice arrested and imprisoned in Egypt for his Marxist affiliations and nationalist activities. In the following years, he worked for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. In 1969 he became