A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Friday, December 11, 2015

Naguib Mahfouz's Birthday Marked

Though Nobel Laureate novelist Naguib Mahfouz died nine years ago, every December 11 is still celebrated as his birthday in Egypt. Marcia Lynx Qualey at Arabic Literature (in English) notes it with "Another year in the Afterlife of Naguib Mahfouz," complete with plenty of Mahfouz-related links.

On Mahfouz' 100th birthday in 2011 I ran an interview with Raymond Stock, one of his translators now working on a biography: "For Naguib Mahfouz' 100th, an Interview with his Biographer," which is still worthwhile. Stock discovered a record showing he was actually born December 10, but he always  celebrated on December 11, and Egypt continues to mark that as the official date.



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