Naguib Mahfouz: Life and Literary Career

Study Notes

Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) was an Egyptian writer and winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Mahfouz was raised in a lower-middle-class family and was educated at Cairo University.
He worked as a civil servant in the Egyptian government before devoting himself to writing full-time.

Mahfouz's writing style is known for its blend of realism and romanticism.
His works often explore themes of social change, morality, and the human condition in modern Egypt.
He is known for his vivid descriptions of Cairo and its people, as well as his ability to capture the essence of Egyptian culture and identity.

The Cairo Trilogy (1956-1957): A series of three novels (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street) that explore the lives of a Cairo family across three generations.
Midaq Alley (1947): A novel that examines the lives of the inhabitants of a small alleyway in Cairo, exploring themes of poverty, morality, and social change.
Children of Gebelawi (1959): A novel that reimagines the story of the prophets Adam, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad in a modern Egyptian context.

Nobel Prize in Literature (1988): Awarded "who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind".
Egyptian State Prize (1958): Awarded for his contributions to Arabic literature.

Mahfouz is considered one of the most important and influential Arabic-language writers of the 20th century.
His works have been widely translated and have had a significant impact on Arabic literature and culture.
He is often referred to as the "Egyptian Balzac" due to his detailed and realistic portrayals of Egyptian society.

Naguib Mahfouz was born in 1911 in Cairo, Egypt, to a lower-middle-class family.
He was educated at Cairo University and worked as a civil servant in the Egyptian government.
Mahfouz devoted himself to writing full-time and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988.

Mahfouz's writing style combines realism and romanticism.
His works explore themes of social change, morality, and the human condition in modern Egypt.
He is known for vivid descriptions of Cairo and its people, capturing the essence of Egyptian culture and identity.

The Cairo Trilogy (1956-1957) is a series of three novels exploring the lives of a Cairo family across three generations.
Midaq Alley (1947) is a novel examining the lives of inhabitants of a small alleyway in Cairo, exploring poverty, morality, and social change.
Children of Gebelawi (1959) reimagines the story of the prophets Adam, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad in a modern Egyptian context.

Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988 for his works that "formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind".
He received the Egyptian State Prize in 1958 for his contributions to Arabic literature.

Mahfouz is considered one of the most important and influential Arabic-language writers of the 20th century.
His works have been widely translated, significantly impacting Arabic literature and culture.
He is often referred to as the "Egyptian Balzac" due to his detailed and realistic portrayals of Egyptian society.