Taghreedet al-Baga’a’ author Mekkawi Said dies at 61

CAIRO – 4 December 2017: Egyptian prominent author Mekkawi Said died at the age of 61, on December 2.

Ministry of Culture mourns the death of Said through an official press statement.
Minister of culture Helmy al-Namam stated that Said was a unique and creative author who portrayed Egypt’s issues in his writings. He also stressed that Said was an influential poet and novelist.

Born in 1956, Said initiated his literary career by writing poetry, inspired by Egyptian contemporary poets such as Ahmed Abdel Moaty Hegazy, and Salah Abdel Sabour. He also released his first short-story collection entitled "Al-Rakd Waraa’ al-Dawa’" [Chasing the Light] in 1981.

His "Taghreedet al-Baga’a" (The Swan Song) was nominated for The Arabic Booker Award in 2008.

Known for his love of Downtown Cairo, Said held various seminars and book discussions in different places at Downtown Cairo.

He published a number of successful novels such as "Al-Maidan Wa Tagleiatoh" (Tahrir Square and its Manifestations), and "Moqtanaiat Wist el-Balad" (Downtown Collectibles)