Tawfiq al-Hakim

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Tawfiq al-Hakim (Arabic:توفيق الحكيم) (October 9 1898 - July 27 1987) was an Egyptian thinker, author, novelist and dramatist who played a pivotal role in the creation of modern Arabic literature from the 1930s onwards.

Life

Al-Hakim, was born in Alexandria in 1898 to a wealthy family. He obtained a bachelor of law in 1925 from Cairo, then he travelled to France to obtain PhD in Law from Paris University. However, in Paris he left his studies in Law and concentrated on drama, novel and classical music. After his return from France, he worked as a deputy prosecutor in Alexandria, The influence of his legal work appeared in many of his writings, mainly his novel "Diary of a prosecutor in rural areas" . He also worked as a journalist in Akhbar El Yom newspaper, then as a manager of the Egyptian National Library in 1951. In 1956, he became a permanent member of the Higher Council for Arts and Literature. He also worked as a resident representative of Egypt to the UNESCO in 1960. In 1961, he was granted the State Merit award by President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He died in 1987.

Works

His famous plays and novels include:

Al-Hakim's donkey, 1940.
Bird from the East, a 1938 novel.
The deal, a 1956 play.
Diary of prosecutor in rural areas , a 1937 novel.
The holy bond, a 1944 novel.
Isis, a 1959 play.
Oedipus the King, a 1949 play.
People of the cave, a 1933 play.
The Perplexed Sultan, a 1960 play.
The problem of the rule, a 1939 play.
Pygmalion, a 1949 play.
Return of the soul, a 1933 novel.
Soft hands, a 1959 play.
Solayman Al-Hakeem, a 1943 play.
Shahrazad, a 1934 play.

External links

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