Naguib Mahfouz
(b. 1911)

Naguib Mahfouz is one of the most eminent contemporary writers in the Arab world, having earned respect for both his talent and his virtue. Mahfouz graduated from the University of Cairo in 1934 with a degree in philosophy. In school, he contributed to literary magazines and was exposed to influential Western writers such as Tolstoy, Chekhov, Kafka, and Ibsen.

Affected by the political turbulence of his times, Mahfouz observed the unjust treatment of fellow writers who openly articulated their political and social views. Instead, he opted to write historical and fictional novels, through which he was able to voice his own opinions indirectly. Mahfouz artfully mastered the Western genre of the novel by modernizing classical Arabic to depict everyday Egyptian life in literature. His later novel Arabian Nights and Days (1982) is just one example of this mastery.

Despite having achieved international fame, some of his more controversial works have been banned in his native Egypt. Nevertheless, Mahfouz's deep attachment to his country, especially Cairo, is reflected through his vibrant and often expressive narration. This fact can account for why many of his works have successfully been turned into movies. In 1988, he became the first Arabic writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, accepting the honor on behalf of Arabs everywhere.

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