Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha ( arz, نجيب محفوظ عبد العزيز ابراهيم احمد الباشا, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the

1988 Nobel Prize in Literature The 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz (1911–2006) "who, through works rich in nuance – now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous – has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies ...

. Mahfouz is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers in the

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...

, along with

Taha Hussein Taha Hussein (, ar, طه حسين; November 15, 1889 – October 28, 1973) was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the Nahda, Egyptian Renaissance and the modernism, modernist movem ...

, to explore themes of

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

. He is the only Egyptian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He published 35 novels, over 350 short stories, 26 screenplays, hundreds of op-ed columns for Egyptian newspapers, and seven plays over a 70-year career, from the 1930s until 2004. All of his novels take place in Egypt, and always mentions the lane, which equals the world. His most famous works include '' The Cairo Trilogy'' and ''

Children of Gebelawi ''Children of Gebelawi'' () is a novel by the Egyptian writer and Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. It is also known by its Egyptian dialectal transliteration, ''Awlad Haretna'', and by the alternative translated transliteral Arabic title of ''Chil ...

''. Many of Mahfouz's works have been made into

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

and foreign films; no Arab writer exceeds Mahfouz in number of works that have been adapted for cinema and television. While Mahfouz's literature is classified as realist literature,

existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

themes appear in it.

Early life and education

Mahfouz was born in a lower middle-class Muslim Egyptian family in

Old Cairo Old Cairo (Arabic: مصر القديمة , Miṣr al-Qadīma, Egyptian pronunciation: Maṣr El-ʾAdīma) is a historic area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress and of Islamic-era settlements pre-dating the founding of ...

in 1911. The first part of his compound given name was chosen in appreciation of the well-known obstetrician,

Naguib Pasha Mahfouz Naguib Pasha Mahfouz ( ar, نجيب باشا محفوظ / ALA-LC: ''Nagīb Bāshā Maḥfūẓ''; 5 January 1882 – 25 July 1974) is known as the father of obstetrics and gynaecology in Egypt and was a pioneer in obstetric fistula. Early life ...

, who oversaw his difficult birth.حياة نجيب محفوظ
/ref> Mahfouz was the seventh and the youngest child, with four brothers and two sisters, all of them much older than him. (Experientially, he grew up an "only child.") The family lived in two popular districts of Cairo: first, in the Bayt al-Qadi neighborhood in the Gamaleya quarter in the old city, from where they moved in 1924 to

Abbaseya 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 ...

, then a new Cairo suburb north of the old city, locations that would provide the backdrop for many of Mahfouz's later writings. His father, Abdel-Aziz Ibrahim, whom Mahfouz described as having been "old-fashioned", was a civil servant, and Mahfouz eventually followed in his footsteps in 1934. Mahfouz's mother, Fatimah, was the daughter of Mustafa Qasheesha, an

Al-Azhar Al-Azhar Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأزهر, al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit=The Resplendent Congregational Mosque, arz, جامع الأزهر, Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic ...

sheikh, and although illiterate herself, took the boy Mahfouz on numerous excursions to cultural locations such as the

Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or the Cairo Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display a ...

and the

Pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

. The Mahfouz family were devout Muslims and Mahfouz had a strict Islamic upbringing. In an interview, he elaborated on the stern religious climate at home during his childhood. He stated that "You would never have thought that an artist would emerge from that family." The

Egyptian Revolution of 1919 The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 ( ''Thawra 1919'') was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan. It was carried out by Egyptians from different walks of life in the wake of the British-ordered exile of the rev ...

had a strong effect on Mahfouz, although he was at the time only seven years old. From the window he saw British soldiers firing at the demonstrators in an effort to disperse them. According to Mahfouz, "You could say ... that the one thing which most shook the security of my childhood was the 1919 revolution", he later said. In his early years, Mahfouz read extensively and was influenced by Hafiz Najib,

and

Salama Moussa Salama Moussa (or Musa; 1887 – 4 August 1958) ( ar, سلامه موسى , ) was an Egyptian journalist, writer and political theorist. Salama Moussa was an avowed secularist, he introduced the writings of Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud to ...

, the Fabian intellectual. After completing his secondary education, Mahfouz was admitted in 1930 to the Egyptian University (now

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 ...

), where he studied philosophy, graduating in 1934. By 1936, having spent a year working on an M.A. in philosophy, he decided to discontinue his studies and become a professional writer. He published his first work in ''

Al Majalla Al Jadida ''Al Majalla Al Jadida'' (Arabic: الجديدة المجلة; ''The New Magazine'') was an Arabic language socialist and avant-garde cultural and literary magazine which existed between 1929 and 1944 with a two-year interruption. Being an early ...

'', a magazine started by

Salama Musa Salama Moussa (or Musa; 1887 – 4 August 1958) ( ar, سلامه موسى , ) was an Egyptian journalist, writer and political theorist. Salama Moussa was an avowed secularist, he introduced the writings of Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud to ...

in 1929. Mahfouz then worked as a journalist for ''

Arrissalah ''Arrissalah'' ( ar, الرسالة ''Ar-Risala'': the message, or ''Ar-Risala Magazine'') was an Arabic weekly cultural magazine for literature, science, and art published in Cairo from 1933 to 1953. It has been described as "the most import ...

'', and contributed short stories to '' Al-Hilal'' and ''

Al-Ahram ''Al-Ahram'' ( ar, الأهرام; ''The Pyramids''), founded on 5 August 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after '' al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya'' (''The Egyptian Events'', founded 1828). It is majori ...

''.

Civil service

After receiving his bachelor's degree in Philosophy from

in 1934, Mahfouz joined the Egyptian civil service, where he continued to work in various positions and ministries until retirement in 1971. He served first as a clerk at Cairo University, then, in 1938, in the Ministry of Islamic Endowments (Awqaf) as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Islamic Endowments. In 1945, he requested a transfer to the al-Ghuri Mausoleum library, where he interviewed residents of his childhood neighborhood as part of the "Good Loans Project." In the 1950s, he worked as Director of Censorship in the Bureau of Arts, as Director of the Foundation for the Support of the Cinema, and finally as a consultant to the Ministry of Culture.

Writing career

Mahfouz published 34 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of screenplays, and five plays over a 70-year career. Possibly his most famous work, ''The Cairo Trilogy'', depicts the lives of three generations of different families in Cairo from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

until after the 1952 military coup that overthrew

King Farouk Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 193 ...

. He was a board member of the publisher ''Dar el-Ma'aref''. Many of his novels were serialized in ''Al-Ahram'', and his writings also appeared in his weekly column, "Point of View". Before the Nobel Prize only a few of his novels had appeared in the West.

Writing style and themes

Most of Mahfouz's early works were set 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 ...

. ''Abath Al-Aqdar (Mockery of the Fates)'' (1939), ''Rhadopis'' (1943), and ''Kifah Tibah (The Struggle of Thebes)'' (1944) were historical novels written as part of a larger unfulfilled 30-novel project. Inspired by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

(1771–1832), Mahfouz planned to cover the entire

history of Egypt The history of Egypt has been long and wealthy, due to the flow of the Nile River with its fertile banks and delta, as well as the accomplishments of Egypt's native inhabitants and outside influence. Much of Egypt's ancient history was a myster ...

in a series of books. However, following the third volume, his interest shifted to current settings and issues, as well as the psychological impact of

social change Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviours or social relations. Definition Social change may not refer to the notion of social progress or sociocult ...

on ordinary people. Mahfouz's

prose Prose is a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language's ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing. It differs from most traditional poetry, where the f ...

is characterised by the blunt expression of his ideas. His written works cover a broad range of topics, including the controversial and taboo such as

socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

, homosexuality, and God. Writing about some of these subjects was prohibited in Egypt. Mahfouz's works often deal with Egypt's development during the 20th century, and combined intellectual and cultural influences from both East and West. His own exposure to

foreign literature World literature is used to refer to the total of the world's national literature and the circulation of works into the wider world beyond their country of origin. In the past, it primarily referred to the masterpieces of Western European lit ...

began in his youth with the enthusiastic consumption of Western detective stories, Russian classics, and

modernist writers Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

and

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

. Mahfouz's stories are almost always set in the heavily populated urban quarters of Cairo, where his characters, usually ordinary people, try to cope with the modernization of society and the temptations of Western values. Mahfouz's central work in the 1950s was the ''

Cairo Trilogy The ''Cairo Trilogy'' ( ar, الثلاثية ''ath-thulathia'' ('The Trilogy') or ''thulathia al-Qahra'') is a trilogy of novels written by the Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz, and one of the prime works of his literary c ...

'', which he completed before the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

. The novels were titled with the street names ''

Palace Walk Palace Walk (Arabic title بين القصرين) is a novel by Nobel Prize winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, and the first installment of Mahfouz's ''Cairo Trilogy''. Originally published in 1956 with the title ''Bayn al-qasrayn'', the boo ...

'', '' Palace of Desire'', and ''

Sugar Street Sugar Street may refer to: * ''Sugar Street'' (novel) * Sugar Street (Hong Kong) {{disambiguation ...

''. Mahfouz set the story in the parts of Cairo where he grew up. The novels depict the life of the patriarch el-Sayyed Ahmed Abdel Gawad and his family over three generations, from

to the 1950s, when

King Farouk I Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...

was overthrown. Mahfouz stopped writing for some years after finishing the trilogy. Disappointed in the

Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced Egyptian ...

régime, which had overthrown the monarchy in 1952, he started publishing again in 1959, now prolifically pouring out novels, short stories, journalism, memoirs, essays, and screenplays. He stated in a 1998 interview that he "long felt that Nasser was one of the greatest political leaders in modern history. I only began to fully appreciate him after he nationalized the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

." His non-fiction, including his journalism and essays and his writing on literature and philosophy, were published in four volumes from 2016. His 1966 novel ''Tharthara Fawq Al-Nīl'' (

Adrift on the Nile ''Adrift on the Nile'' (''Thartharah fawqa al-Nīl'', ar, ثرثرة فوق النيل) is a 1966 book by Egyptian author and Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz. The novel was later made into a 1971 film, '' Chitchat on the Nile''. The book follows ...

) is one of his most popular works. It was later made into a film called ''

Chitchat on the Nile ''Chitchat on the Nile'' ( ar, ثرثرة فوق النيل) (''Adrift on the Nile'') is a 1971 film based on the 1966 novel ''Adrift on the Nile'' by Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz. The film is a member in Top 100 Egyptian films list. ...

'' during the régime of

Anwar al-Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...

. The story criticizes the decadence of Egyptian society during the Nasser era. It was

banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...

Sadat Sadat ( ar, سادات) is a suffix, which is given to families believed to be descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. In Iran, after the revolution, it is mandatory to mention "Seyed" or "Sadat" in the names of or whose descent from Muham ...

to avoid provoking Egyptians who still loved former president Nasser. Copies of the

banned book This is an index of lists of banned books, which contain books that have been banned or censored by religious authority or government. By country * Book censorship in Canada * Book censorship in China * List of books banned in India * Book c ...

were hard to find prior to the late 1990s. The ''

'' (1959, also known as ''Children of the Alley'') one of Mahfouz's best known works, portrayed the patriarch Gebelaawi and his children, average Egyptians living the lives of

Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He wa ...

and

Abel Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepher ...

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, and

Mohammed Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...

. Gebelawi builds a mansion in an

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

in the middle of a barren desert; his estate becomes the scene of a family feud that continues for generations. "Whenever someone is depressed, suffering or humiliated, he points to the mansion at the top of the alley at the end opening out to the desert, and says sadly, 'That is our ancestor's house, we are all his children, and we have a right to his property. Why are we starving? What have we done?'" The book was banned throughout the Arab world except in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

until 2006 when it was first published in Egypt. The work was prohibited because of its alleged

blasphemy Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religiou ...

through the

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

portrayal of God and the

monotheistic Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...

Abrahamic The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran. Jewish tradition ...

faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. In the 1960s, Mahfouz further developed the theme that humanity is moving further away from God in his

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

novels. In ''

The Thief and the Dogs ''The Thief and the Dogs'' ( ar, اللص والكلاب; ''al-liṣ wal-kilāb'') is one of the Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz's most celebrated works. He further developed his theme of existentialism using stream-of-consciousness and surrealist ...

'' (1961) he depicted the fate of a

Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

thief who has been released from prison and plans revenge. In the 1960s and 1970s Mahfouz began to construct his novels more freely and often used interior monologues. In ''Miramar'' (1967) he employed a form of multiple

First-person narrative A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller, ...

s. Four narrators, among them a Socialist and a

Nasserite Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and Egypt's second President. Spanning the domestic and ...

opportunist, represent different political views. In the center of the story is an attractive servant girl. In ''

Arabian Nights and Days ''Arabian Nights and Days'' (1979) is a novel by Egyptians, Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The novel serves as a sequel and companion piece for ''One Thousand and One Nights'' and includes many of the sa ...

'' (1979) and in ''The Journey of Ibn Fatouma'' (1983) he drew on traditional Arabic narratives as

subtext Subtext is any content of a creative work, which is not announced explicitly (by characters or author), but is implicit, or becomes something understood by the audience. Subtext has been used historically to imply controversial subjects without ...

s. ''Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth'' (1985) deals with conflict between old and new religious truths. Many of his novels were first published in serialized form, including ''Children of Gebelawi'' and '' Midaq Alley'' which was also adapted into a

Mexican film Mexican cinema dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ideal ...

starring

Salma Hayek Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...

called ''El callejón de los milagros''.

Political influence

Most of Mahfouz's writings deal mainly with politics, a fact he acknowledged: "In all my writings, you will find politics. You may find a story which ignores love or any other subject, but not politics; it is the very axis of our thinking".Rasheed El-Enany, ''Naguib Mahfouz: The Pursuit of Meaning'', Routledge, 1992, p. 23. He espoused

Egyptian nationalism Egyptian nationalism is based on Egyptians and Egyptian culture. Egyptian nationalism has typically been a civic nationalism that has emphasized the unity of Egyptians regardless of their ethnicity or religion. Egyptian nationalism first manifes ...

in many of his works, and expressed sympathies for the post-World-War-era

Wafd Party The Wafd Party (; ar, حزب الوفد, ''Ḥizb al-Wafd'') was a nationalist liberal political party in Egypt. It was said to be Egypt's most popular and influential political party for a period from the end of World War I through the 1930s ...

. He was also attracted to socialist and

democratic ideals Democratic ideals is an expression used to refer to personal qualities or standards of government behavior that are felt to be essential for the continuation of a democratic policy. In the 20th century, T. H. Marshall proposed what he believed to ...

early in his youth. The influence of socialist ideals is strongly reflected in his first two novels, ''Al-Khalili'' and ''New Cairo'', as well as many of his later works. Parallel to his sympathy for socialism and democracy was his

antipathy Antipathy is a dislike for something or somebody, the opposite of sympathy. While antipathy may be induced by experience, it sometimes exists without a rational cause-and-effect explanation being present to the individuals involved. Thus, the ori ...

towards

Islamic extremism Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...

. In his youth, Mahfouz had personally known

Sayyid Qutb Sayyid 'Ibrāhīm Ḥusayn Quṭb ( or ; , ; ar, سيد قطب إبراهيم حسين ''Sayyid Quṭb''; 9 October 1906 – 29 August 1966), known popularly as Sayyid Qutb ( ar, سيد قطب), was an Egyptians, Egyptian author, educato ...

when Qutb was showing a greater interest in

literary criticism Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

than in

Islamic fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a puritanical, revivalist, and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. Islamic fundamentalists are of the view that Muslim-majority countries should return t ...

; Qutb later became a significant influence on the

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...

. In the mid-1940s, Qutb was one of the first critics to recognize Mahfouz's talent, and by the 1960s, near the end of Qutb's life, Mahfouz even visited him in the hospital. But later, in the semi-autobiographical novel ''

Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

'', Mahfouz drew a negative portrait of Qutb. He was disillusioned with the 1952 revolution and by Egypt's defeat in the 1967

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...

. He had supported the principles of the revolution, but became disenchanted, saying that the practices failed to live up to the original ideals. Mahfouz's writing influenced a new generation of Egyptian lawyers, including Nabil Mounir and Reda Aslan.

Reception

Mahfouz's translated works received praise from American critics: "The alleys, the houses, the palaces and mosques and the people who live among them are evoked as vividly in Mahfouz's work as the streets of London were conjured by Dickens." —''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'' "Throughout Naguib Mahfouz's fiction there is a pervasive sense of metaphor, of a literary artist who is using his fiction to speak directly and unequivocally to the condition of his country. His work is imbued with love for Egypt and its people, but it is also utterly honest and unsentimental." —''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' "Mahfouz's work is freshly nuanced and hauntingly lyrical. The Nobel Prize acknowledges the universal significance of isfiction." —''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' "Mr. Mahfouz embodied the essence of what makes the bruising, raucous, chaotic human anthill of Cairo possible." —''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

Nobel Prize for Literature

Mahfouz was awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Arab writer to have won the award. Shortly after winning the prize Mahfouz was quoted as saying: The Swedish letter to Mahfouz praised his "rich and complex work": Because Mahfouz found traveling to Sweden difficult at his age, he did not attend the award ceremony.

Political involvement

Mahfouz did not shrink from controversy outside of his work. As a consequence of his support for Sadat's Camp David peace treaty with Israel in 1978, his books were banned in many Arab countries until after he won the Nobel Prize. Like many Egyptian writers and intellectuals, Mahfouz was on an Islamic fundamentalist "death list". He defended British-Indian writer

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Wes ...

after Ayatollah

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...

condemned Rushdie to death in a 1989

fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...

, but also criticized Rushdie's novel ''

The Satanic Verses ''The Satanic Verses'' is the fourth novel of British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie. First published in September 1988, the book was inspired by the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical realism ...

'' as "insulting" to Islam. Mahfouz believed in

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

, and, although he did not personally agree with Rushdie's work, he spoke out against the ''fatwa'' condemning him to death for it. In 1989, after Ayatollah Khomeini's ''fatwa'' calling for Rushdie and his publishers to be killed, Mahfouz called Khomeini a terrorist. Shortly after, Mahfouz joined 80 other intellectuals in declaring that "no

harms Islam and Muslims so much as the call for murdering a writer."

Assassination attempt and aftermath

The publication of ''

'' revived the controversy surrounding Mahfouz's novel ''

''. Death threats against Mahfouz followed, including one from the "blind sheikh," Egyptian-born

Omar Abdul-Rahman Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman ( ar, عمر عبد الرحمن), (ʾUmar ʾAbd ar-Raḥmān; 3 May 1938 – 18 February 2017), commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", was a blind Egyptian Islamist militant who served a life sente ...

. Mahfouz was given police protection, but in 1994 an extremist succeeded in attacking the 82-year-old novelist by stabbing him in the neck outside his Cairo home. He survived, permanently affected by damage to nerves of his right upper limb. After the incident, Mahfouz was unable to write for more than a few minutes a day and consequently produced fewer and fewer works. Subsequently, he lived under constant bodyguard protection. Finally, in the beginning of 2006, the novel was published in Egypt with a preface written by Ahmad Kamal Aboul-Magd. After the threats, Mahfouz stayed in Cairo with his lawyer, Nabil Mounir Habib. Mahfouz and Mounir would spend most of their time in Mounir's office; Mahfouz used Mounir's library as a reference for most of his books. Mahfouz stayed with Mounir until his death.

Personal life

Mahfouz remained a bachelor until age 43 because he believed that, with its numerous restrictions and limitations, marriage would hamper his literary future. "I was afraid of marriage . . . especially when I saw how busy my brothers and sisters were with social events because of it. This one went to visit people, that one invited people. I had the impression that married life would take up all my time. I saw myself drowning in visits and parties. No freedom." However, in 1954, he quietly married a

Coptic Orthodox The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...

woman from

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, Atiyyatallah Ibrahim, with whom he had two daughters, Fatima and Umm Kalthum. The couple initially lived on a houseboat in the

Agouza Agouza ( ar, العجوزة, al-ʿajuza) is a small suburb of Giza district, in Giza Governorate, on the western bank of the Nile river. It is situated between 6th October Bridge and 15th May Bridge and is north of Dokki and south of Mohandesin s ...

section of Cairo on the west bank of the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

, then moved to an apartment along the river in the same area. Mahfouz avoided public exposure, especially inquiries into his private life, which might have become, as he put it, "a silly topic in journals and radio programs." Mahfouz distinctly did not like to travel.

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

was one of the few cities to which he gladly went and he expressed great respect for

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

Works

* A translation into Arabic of James Baikie's '' Ancient Egypt'' (1932) مصر القديمة * '' Whisper of Madness'' (1938) همس الجنون * '' Mockery of the Fates'' (1939) عبث الأقدار. His first full-length novel, translated title in English ''

Khufu's Wisdom ''Khufu's Wisdom'' ( ar, حكمة خوفو, Hikmat Khufu) is the first novel by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. It was originally published in 1939 in Arabic by Salama Moussa, who renamed it ' (), as a separate issue of the magazine '' Al ...

''. * '' Rhadopis of Nubia'' (1943) رادوبيس * ''

The Struggle of Thebes ''Thebes at War'' (''Kefah Teba''; ar, كفاح طيبة) is an early novel by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. It was originally published in Arabic in 1944. An English translation by Humphrey Davies appeared in 2003. The novel is one of seve ...

'' (1944) كفاح طيبة * ''

Cairo Modern 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 metr ...

'' (1945) القاهرة الجديدة * '' Khan al-Khalili'' (1945) خان الخليلي * '' Midaq Alley'' (1947) زقاق المدق * ''

The Mirage The Mirage is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Hard Rock International. The 65-acre property includes a casino and 3,044 rooms. Mirage R ...

'' (1948) السراب * '' The Beginning and the End'' (1949) بداية ونهاية * ''

'' (1956) بين القصرين (''

'', Part 1) * '' Palace of Desire'' (1957) قصر الشوق (''

'', Part 2) * ''

Sugar Street Sugar Street may refer to: * ''Sugar Street'' (novel) * Sugar Street (Hong Kong) {{disambiguation ...

'' (1957) السكرية (''

'', Part 3) * ''

'' (1959) أولاد حارتنا * ''

'' (1961) اللص والكلاب * ''

Autumn Quail Autumn Quail is a novel by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. It is considered to be one of his more philosophical works. The novel looks at foreignness, the past, and the everchanging reality through the character Isa Al-Dabbagh. The novel was ...

'' (1962) السمان والخريف * ''God's World'' (1962) دنيا الله * ''

Zaabalawi Zaabalawi () is a symbolic story written by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988. It was first published in 1961 and reprinted within the collection of God's World (Dunya Allah). in 1972.Naguib. M. ...

'' (1963) زعبلاوي * ''

The Search ''The Search'' is a 1948 American film directed by Fred Zinnemann that tells the story of a young Auschwitz survivor and his mother who search for each other across post-World War II Europe. It stars Montgomery Clift, Ivan Jandl, Jarmila Novotn ...

'' (1964) الطريق * ''

The Beggar ''The Beggar'' is a 1965 novella by Naguib Mahfouz about the failure to find meaning in existence. It is set in post-revolutionary Cairo during the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser. Plot summary The book opens with the main character Omar going to ...

'' (1965) الشحاذ * ''

'' (1966) ثرثرة فوق النيل * '' Miramar'' (1967) ميرامار * ''The Pub of the Black Cat'' (1969) خمارة القط الأسود * ''

A Story Without a Beginning or an Ending A Story Without a Beginning or an Ending (Ḥikaya Bila Bidaya Wala Nihaya) is the 1971 short story collection by Naguib Mahfouz. The collection consists of five stories, and the one thing they have in common is their lack of clear beginning or ...

'' (1971) حكاية بلا بداية ولا نهاية * ''

The Honeymoon ''The Honeymoon'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film directed by Charles Giblyn and starring Constance Talmadge, Earle Foxe, and Maude Turner Gordon Maude Turner Gordon (November 10, 1868 – January 12, 1940) was an American actress ...

'' (1971) شهر العسل * ''

'' (1972) المرايا * ''

Love in the Rain ''Love in the Rain'' (Al-Ḥob Taḥtal Maṭar) is one of Naguib Mahfouz's most popular novels. It received a lot of acclaim from critics, and readers. The novel was adapted into a film in 1975, and it was directed by Hussein Kamal, starring M ...

'' (1973) الحب تحت المطر * '' The Crime'' (1973) الجريمة * '' Karnak Café'' (1974) الكرنك * '' Stories from Our Neighbourhood'' (حكايات حارتنا (1975 * '' Respected Sir'' (1975) حضرة المحترم * ''

The Harafish ''The Harafish'' ( ar, الحرافيش) (in orig. Arabic ''Malhamat al-harafish'') is a 1977 novel written by Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha ( arz, نجيب محفوظ عبد العزيز ابراهيم اح� ...

'' (1977) ملحمة الحرافيش * '' Love above the Pyramid Plateau'' (1979) الحب فوق هضبة الهرم * ''

The Devil Preaches ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1979) الشيطان يعظ * ''

'' (1979) ليالي ألف ليلة * ''

Love and the Veil Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

'' (1980) عصر الحب * '' Wedding Song (novel)'' (1981) (also known as Joys of the Dome) أفراح القبة *''I Saw, in a Dream'' (1982), including the short story "

Qismati and Nasibi Qismati and Nasibi is a short story written by a Nobel Prize winner, the Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. It was included in the short story collection ''Ra’aytu fima yara al-na’im (I Saw, in a Dream'', or ''I Saw as the Sleeper Sees'') publishe ...

" (My Fate and My Destiny) * '' One Hour Remains'' (1982; also published in translation as ''The Final Hour'') الباقي من الزمن ساعة * '' The Journey of Ibn Fattouma'' (1983) رحلة ابن فطومة * ''

Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth ''Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth'' is a novel written and published by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz in 1985. It was translated from Arabic into English in 1998 by Tagreid Abu-Hassabo. The form and subject of the book is the ba ...

'' (1985) العائش فى الحقيقة * '' The Day the Leader was Killed'' (1985) يوم مقتل الزعيم * '' The Hunger'' ('' Al-Go'a'') (1986) الجوع * '' Morning and Evening Talk'' (1987) حديث الصباح والمساء * ''

The False Dawn ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1988) الفجر الكاذب * ''

The Coffeehouse ''The Coffeehouse'' (1988) is a novel by Nobel-winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz; it was his last novel, although it was not his final work. The novel narrates the story of a group of friends in Al-Abasiya, who during their childhood unite ...

'' (1988) * ''

Echoes of an Autobiography Echoes may refer to: * Echo (phenomenon) Film and television * ''Echoes'' (2014 film), an American supernatural horror film * ''Echoes'' (miniseries), a 2022 Netflix original drama series * "Echoes" (''Fear Itself''), an episode of ''Fear Itse ...

'' (1994) أصداء السيرة الذاتية * '' Echoes of Forgetness'' صدى النسيان (1999) * '' Dreams of the Rehabilitation Period'' (2004) أحلام فترة النقاهة * * ''

The Seventh Heaven ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (2005) * '' Dreams of Departure'' (2007; posthumous translation) * '' Before the Throne'' (2009; posthumous translation) أمام العرش * '' In the Time of Love'' (2010; posthumous translation) * ''

Heart of the Night ''Heart of the Night'' is the nineteenth album by the American jazz group Spyro Gyra, released in 1996 by GRP Records. Track listing # "Heart of the Night" (Jay Beckenstein) – 4:34 # "De La Luz" (Julio Fernandez) – 5:14 # "Westwood Moon" ...

'' (2011; posthumous translation) * ''The Quarter'' (short stories, 2019; posthumous translation)

Honours

Bibliography

References

External links

Naguib Mahfouz on his English publisher's website
at Nobel Prize website * *
BBC ObituaryThe 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Naguib Mahfouz
at Qantara.de
Mahfouz Centennial Celebrations 2011
at The American University in Cairo Press {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahfouz, Naguib 1911 births 2006 deaths Egyptian novelists Egyptian male short story writers Egyptian short story writers Egyptian nationalists Egyptian Nobel laureates Egyptian socialists Nobel laureates in Literature Cairo University alumni Writers from Cairo 20th-century novelists Egyptian male writers 20th-century short story writers Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Muslim socialists