Abdel Hakim Qasem (1934–1990) is considered one of the most significant authors in Egyptian literature

Literature of Egypt

Egyptian literature traces its beginnings to ancient Egypt and is some of the earliest known literature. Indeed, the Egyptians were the first culture to develop literature as we know it today, that is, the book.-Ancient Egyptian literature:...

 during the past thirty years. He was born in Al Bandara village, near Tanta

Tanta

Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...

. During the 1950s he moved to Cairo

Cairo

Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...

, and began writing until the 1960s when he was imprisoned for 4 years, for his political associations, by the Nasser government. He lived in exile in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 from 1974 until 1985. He then came back to Cairo where he died in 1990. He has written five novels, four novellas, five short story collections, and one play.

Novels

• Ayyam Al-Insan Al-Sab'a (The Seven Days of Man)
• Qadar Al-Ghoraf Al-Muqbida (The Destiny of Stifling Rooms), 1982
• Rites of Assent: Two Novellas, translated by Peter Theroux
  Peter Theroux
  Peter Theroux is an American writer and translator. He studied English literature at Harvard University, and spent a year at the American University in Cairo...
  
  , introduction by Samia Mehrez. Temple University Press, 1995. ISBN 1-56639-354-X