Gamal al-Ghitani | |
|---|---|
 2014 | |
| Born | (1945-05-09)9 May 1945 Juhaynah,Sohag Governorate, Egypt |
| Died | 18 October 2015(2015-10-18) (aged 70) Cairo, Egypt |
| Occupation | Journalist, author, novelist |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
Gamal al-Ghitani (Arabic:جمال الغيطانى,IPA:[ɡæˈmæːlelɣeˈtˤɑːni]; 9 May 1945 – 18 October 2015) was anEgyptian author of historical and political novels and cultural and political commentaries and was theeditor-in-chief of the literary periodicalAkhbar Al-Adab ("Cultural News") till 2011.
Gamal al-Ghitani was born in Juhaynah,Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt and moved with his family toCairo as a child. He began writing at a young age and had his first short story published when he was only 14. He was originally trained to be a carpet designer and received his diploma in 1962. He continued to write on the side and was imprisoned from October 1966 through March 1967 for his critical commentary on the regime ofGamal Abd el-Nasser. In 1969 he switched careers and became a journalist for the Egyptian newspaperAkhbar El Yom ("The Day's News").[1]
After becoming a journalist, al-Ghitani continued to write historical fiction, and many of his stories are set in Cairo. He also wrote about many cultural and political topics, notably the level of censorship in modern-day Egypt. In an effort to help promote the Arab literary culture, he helped found the literary magazine "Gallery 68".
In 1980, he was awarded with the Egyptian National Prize for Literature, and in 1987, the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 1985, he became editor-in-chief ofAl Akhbar ("The News")[1] and continued to be a contributing editor toAkhbar El-Yom's literary section. From 1993 to 2011, he was the editor-in-chief ofAkhbar Al-Adab, one of Egypt's primary literary magazines.[1] 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. He was entitled for this award due to his giant workKhitāb al-tajalliyāt (The Book of Epiphanies). In 2009, he was awarded theSheikh Zayed Book Award forRen, the award is worth about $200,000 and is one of theworld's richest literary awards.
Gamal al-Ghitani was married to the Egyptian journalist Magda El-Guindy, editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram's children's magazine "Alaaeddin". He has a son, Mohammad, and a daughter, Magda. He died on 18 October 2015 at the El Galaa Hospital For Armed Forces Officers Families in Cairo.[2]
