Ezzat El Kamhawi ( ar, عزت القمحاوي) is an Egyptian
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
and
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
. In December 2012, El Kamhawi was awarded the
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature.House of the Wolf''. In June 2022 he was awarded the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press (Opinion Piece category) for his article "Suspicious architecture: The obsession with grand buildings and wide streets".
He was born in 1961 and graduated from the department of journalism in the ''Faculty of Mass Communications'',
Cairo University
Cairo University ( ar, جامعة القاهرة, Jāmi‘a al-Qāhira), also known as the Egyptian University from 1908 to 1940, and King Fuad I University and Fu'ād al-Awwal University from 1940 to 1952, is Egypt's premier public university ...
in 1983.
Early life and career
El Kamhawi was born on 23 December 1961 in
Sharqia Governorate
Sharqia Governorate ( ar, محافظة الشرقية ', , rural: ) is the 3rd most populous of the governorates of Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country, its capital is the city of Zagazig.
Overview
Bilbeis is the former capital ...
, Egypt, before graduating from high school he had articles published for him in the ''
Al Gomhuria
''Al Gomhuria'' ( ar, الجمهورية; en, The Republic) is an influential state-owned Egyptian Arabic language daily newspaper.
History and profile
''Al Gomhuria'' was established in 1954 following the Egyptian revolution and became the ne ...
'' newspaper.
After graduating from the department of journalism in the Faculty of Mass Communications, Cairo University, he started working for '' Al-Akhbar'', where he helped establish ''
Akhbar Al-Adab
''Akhbar Al Adab'' ( ar, أخبار الأدب; ''Cultural News'' in English) is an Arabic weekly literary magazine which is published by state-run Akhbar Al Yawm publishing house.
History and profile
''Akhbar Al Adab'' was established by Gamal A ...
'' 10 years later, a widely known literature magazine. He was the Senior Editor of ''al-Doha Cultural Magazine'' from May 2011 until September 2013.
''The City of Pleasure''
A city like no other, guarded by the goddess of pleasure and, ruled by a licentious king who dedicated his time to carnal pleasures and a princess who dreams of love and tender empathy. The priests decide to design the walls of the princess's room with figures of embracing lovers and burnt incense and chanted their magical incantations that the pictures on the wall may come to life and the dream of the princess for true love might come true.
People real and shadowy, strong slaves and emperors have met their doom at the gates of the City of Pleasure. Eventually the gates of the impenetrable city succumbs under the charm of two ingenious commodities: fried potatoes and pepsi-cola.
No one knows the real history of the City of Pleasure and no welcome visitor has ever escaped its enchantment.
This is the novel that has been structured from human myths melted down and recreated one of the most perfectly executed literary whims. It is no longer possible to speak of modern Arabic literary narrative without including The City of Pleasure and the enriching addition it has provided to the art of the modern Arabic novel par excellence.
Works
His published literary works include:
*''It Happened in the land of Dust and Mud'' ( ar, حدث في بلاد التراب والطين) (Stories) (published by Dar Soad Al Sabbah in 1992).
*'' The City of Pleasure'' ( ar, مدينة اللذة) (Novel) (published by the General Organization for Cultural Centers in 1997 - second edition by "el-Ain publishing" in 2009).
*''Times for Joy'' ( ar, مواقيت البهجة) (Stories) (published by the General Organization for Cultural Centers in 2000).
*''The Grove of Sadness and Bliss'' ( ar, الأيك في المباهج والأحزان) (published by "Dar el-Hilal" in 2003).
*''
A room overlooking the Nile
Ezzat El Kamhawi ( ar, عزت القمحاوي) is an Egyptian novelist and journalist. In December 2012, El Kamhawi was awarded the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature for his novel '' House of the Wolf''. In June 2022 he was awarded the Samir ...
'' ( ar, غرفة ترى النيل) (Novel) (published by "Merit Publishing House" in 2004 in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
- second edition by "Merit Publishing House" in 2006 - third edition by "maktabet Al-a'osra" ar, مكتبة الأسرة in 2010).
*''
The Guard The Guard may refer to:
* ''The Guard'' (TV series), a Canadian drama series portraying about the Canadian Coast Guard
* ''The Guard'' (1990 film), a 1990 Soviet film about a soldier who kills his entire unit
* ''The Guard'' (2001 film), a 2001 ...
'' ( ar, الحارس) (Novel) (published by "el-Ain publishing", Cairo 2008).
*''Book seductiveness'' (published by "el-Ain publishing", Cairo 2009).
*'' House of the Wolf'' (''Beit Al-Deeb'', ar, بيت الدِّيب) (Published in Arabic by "Dar Al-Adab",
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
2010), (Published in English by
AUC Press
The American University in Cairo Press (AUCP, AUC Press) is the leading English-language publisher in the Middle East.
The largest translator of Arabic literature in the world, AUC Press has a reputation for carefully selecting and translating t ...
,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2013).
*''Gold and Glass'' ( ar, ذهب وزجاج) (Published by "Nahdet Misr",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2011).
*''Shame from both sides'' ( ar, العار من الضفتين) (Published by "el-Ain publishing",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2011).
*''The sea behind the curtains'' ( ar, البحر خلف الستائر) (Published by "Dar Al-Adab",
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
2013).
*''The sky in an imminent way'' ( ar, السماء على نحو وشيك)
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
(Published by "Batanna",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2016).
*''At least we are together'' ( ar, يكفي أننا معًا) (Published by the "Egyptian Lebanese House",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2017). Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s Short-list (2018).
* ''What Sami Jacoub saw'' ( ar, ما رآه سامي يعقوب) (Published by the "Egyptian Lebanese House",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2019).
* ''The Passengers Hall'' ( ar, غرفة المسافرين) (Published by the "Egyptian Lebanese House",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2020).
* ''Strangers at Home'' ( ar, غربة المنازل) (Published by the "Egyptian Lebanese House",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2021).
* ''The Grove of Sadness and Bliss'' ( ar, الأيك في المباهج والأحزان) - extended edition - (Published by the "Egyptian Lebanese House",
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
2022).
Recognition
* 2012:
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature.House of the Wolf''.
* 2018: ''At least we are together'' ( ar, يكفي أننا معًا) reaches the 2018 short-list of
Sheikh Zayed Book Award
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is a literary award begun in the UAE. It is presented yearly to "Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers as well as young talent whose writings and translations of humanities have scholarly and objectively enriched Arab ...
.
* 2021: ''The Passengers Hall'' ( ar, غرفة المسافرين) reaches the 2021 short-list of
Sheikh Zayed Book Award
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is a literary award begun in the UAE. It is presented yearly to "Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers as well as young talent whose writings and translations of humanities have scholarly and objectively enriched Arab ...
.
* 2022: ''Strangers at Home'' ( ar, غربة المنازل) reaches the 2022 short-list of
Sheikh Zayed Book Award
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is a literary award begun in the UAE. It is presented yearly to "Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers as well as young talent whose writings and translations of humanities have scholarly and objectively enriched Arab ...
.
* 2022: Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press (Opinion Piece category) for his article "Suspicious architecture: The obsession with grand buildings and wide streets".