Gamila el-Alaily’s Doodle on Google
CAIRO - 20 March 2019: Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Egyptian poet and essayist Gamila el-Alaily on the occasion of her birthday anniversary.
Born in Mansoura, Dakahlia on March 20, 1907, Alaily was one of the leading women of Egypt’s modern art renaissance. A passionate writer, she became the sole female member of the Apollo Society, an influential group of poets, writers, and artists, who came to represent the first wave of modernism in Arab literature.
Inspired by the work of pioneering poet May Ziadah, Alaily relocated to Cairo and began contributing poetry to the Egyptian literary journal Apollo, which was launched in 1932 by Ahmed Zaki Abu Shadi.
The publication was named after the Greek god of poetry, truth, prophecy, healing, light, and the sun—a fitting symbol of the society’s universal vision as well as Alaily’s Apollonian verse.
After consistently contributing to the highly regarded journal, she published “The Echo of my Dreams”, the first of her three volumes of poetry, in 1936. Drawing inspiration from nature, her poetry addressed the themes of love and longing as well as contemplation.
In addition to poetry, Alaily went on to write a regular column for over a quarter century in her monthly newsletter, addressing ethics, values, and ideals, and including her views on the role of women in society.
In this respect, as well as in her prolific poetic output, she broke new ground for women in the Arab world, inspiring generations of writers to come.
Happy 112th birthday, Gamila el-Alaily!
All you need to know about the legendary poet
Who was Gamila El Alaily ? - Everything You Need to Know about Egyptian Poet Gamila El Alaily. Jamila Al-Alayli was born on March 20, 1907 and died on April 11, 1991. She was an Egyptian poet. El Alaily moved to Cairo and began contributing poetry to the Egyptian literary journal Apollo, which was launched in 1932 by Dr. Ahmed Zaki Abu Shadi.
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