Acclaimed Egyptian novelist Gamal al-Ghitani passes away

Acclaimed Egyptian novelist and journalist Gamal al-Ghitani passed away in Cairo, Egypt. He was 70.
He was one of the greatest Egyptian authors of historical and political novels and cultural and political commentaries.

About Gamal al-Ghitani

• Ghitani was born on 9 May 1945 in Gihena, Egypt.
• He had started his writing career at a very young age and his first short story was published when he was only 14.
• Though he was trained as a carpet designer, he switched to journalism in his 20s and went on to write historical fiction.
• Much of his work has been widely translated in different languages, including his famous novel Zayni Barakat published in 1974 is considered a seminal portrayal of authoritarian rule.
• Awards: He was awarded Egyptian National Prize for Literature (1980), French Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1987), Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Ren (2009) etc.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2015