Gamal El-Ghitani
Gamal el-Ghitani is an Egyptian author of historical novels and cultural and political commentaries. He is also the current editor-in-chief of the Akhbar Al-Adab. He was born on 9th May, 1945 to a poor family in the Sohag Governorate in the Upper Egypt region. As a child, he later moved to Cairo with his family. His talent was apparent at an extremely young age as when he was only 14, he had his first short story published.
Until his graduation in 1962, he worked as a carpet designer but all the time writing on the side, However, it wasn’t until after then that he was imprisoned from October 1966 through March 1967 for his critical commentary on the regime of Gamal Abd el-Nasser, El Ghitani then went on to become a journalist for Akhbar El yom, an Egyptian newspaper. Since then he has continued to write historical fiction as well as many cultural and political topics,
It was in 1985 that he became an editor-in-chief for Al Akhbar newspaper, then editor-in-chief of Akhbar Al-Adab in 1993. Due to his efforts, in 1980, he was awarded with the Egyptian National Prize for Literature, followed by, the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1987. In 2005, he won a French Award for translated literature "Laure Bataillon", one of the highest French awards to be bestowed upon non-French writers.
Gamal is currently married to the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram's children's magazine "Alaaeddin" and has two lovely children; Mohamed and Magda.
His works include:
• Awraq Shab ‘Asha mundhu Alf ‘Am, 1969
• Ard .. Ard, 1972.
• Zayni Barakat, 1974.
• Al-Hisar min Thalath Gihat, 1975.
• Hikayat el-Gharib, 1976.
• Waqi'i' Harat al-Za'farani, 1976.
• al-Rifai, 1977.
• Dhikr ma Jara, 1978.
• Khitat al-Ghitani, 1980.
• Ketab Al Tagaliyat(3 volumes), 1983-1986.
• Muntasaf Layl al-Ghurba, 1984.
• Ahrash al-Madina, 1985.
• Ithaf aI-Zaman bi-Hikayat Jalbi al-Sultan, 1985.
• Risala min al-Sababa wal Wagd, 1988.
• Shath al-Madina, 1990.
• Risilat al-Basi'ir fi al-Masi'ir, 1989.
• Thimar al Waqt,1990.
• Asfar al-Asfar, 1992.
• Asfar al-Mushtaq, 1992.
• Ha-tif al-Maghib, 1992.
• Min Daftar al-'Ishq wal-Ghurba, 1993.
• Naftha Masdur, 1993.
• Mutun Al- Ahram, 1994.
• Shatf al-Nar, 1996.
• Hikayat Al Mo'asasa, 1997.
• Al Zowail, 2006
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