Gamal al-Ghitani's death anniversary

CAIRO – 18 October 2017: October 18 marks the death anniversary of the prominent Egyptian author Gamal al-Ghitani.

Ghitani was a journalist, author and novelist.

He started his career in journalism in 1969 as a reporter for Akhbar al-Youm newspaper in war areas.

In 1974, Ghitani shifted to be a reporter in the investigation section at Akbar al-Youm, and after 11 years, he became the head of the literature section.

In 1993, he established and headed Akbar al-Adab [Literature News].

Ghitani started his literary career before going into journalism, as he released his first short story collection in 1963.

"Awraq Shab Aa'sh Monz Alf Aa'am" [Diary of a Young Man Who Lived 1000 Years Ago] is considered one of the most important phases of Egyptian short story writing.


"Awraq Shab Aa'sh Monz Alf Aa'am" [Photo: Archive]

Al Ghitani not only developed the Egyptian short story, but also participated in the revival of forgotten Egyptian heritage.

He was inspired by the Egyptian heritage, so he kept its presence in his novels. He also followed the direction of the most celebrated Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz.

His major works were translated to German and French, such as “Zayne Barakat” and “Wakaa'e Haret El Zafarani” [The Zafarani Files].


Zayne Barakat [Photo: Archive]
He was honored with a number of awards, such as Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1987, Prix Laure-Bataillon in 2005 and Egypt's State Appreciation Awards in 2007.

Al Ghitani produced more than 40 novels, in addition to a number of short story collections.

His books are the most accessible books on the internet, as his books are provided as e-books.


Wakaa'e Haret El Zaafarani [Photo: Archive]