Edwar al-Kharrat
Encyclopedia
Edwar al-Kharrat (born 16 March 1926) is an Egyptian
novelist, writer and critic. He was born in Alexandria
to a Coptic Christian family. He studied law at Alexandria University
and worked briefly in banking and insurance. He was also actively engaged in left-wing politics and spent two years in jail from 1948–50. He moved to Cairo
in the mid-1950s where he worked for a time as a translator at the Romanian
embassy.
Al-Kharrat has been described as "one of Egypt's most influential fiction writers" and "one of the most important writers in the Arab world". He was a leading figure among the group of Egyptian writers known as the Sixties Generation, and founded and edited the literary journal Gallery 68, considered to be the mouthpiece of that generation. In this role, al-Kharrat promoted and disseminated the works of such writers as Sonallah Ibrahim
, Bahaa Taher
, Ibrahim Aslan, Yahya Taher Abdullah
, and Gamal al-Ghitani
. He also had a lengthy association with the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) and the Afro-Asian Writers’ Association, and edited Lotus, a journal of African and Arabic literature.
As a writer, his first book was a collection of short stories
called High Walls, published in 1958/59. Two more volumes of stories came out in the 1970s. Also in 1979, his first novel Rama and the Dragon was published to widespread critical acclaim. A "daringly experimental" work, Rama has been called "a breakthrough for the Arab novel". Al-Kharrat himself described the novel as "untranslatable", although an English translation was completed by Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden
and published by the AUC Press
in 2002 after winning the 1999 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
. The Arab Writers Union
ranked Rama at 8th in its list of the 100 best Arabic novels.
Al-Kharrat has also translated a number of foreign literary works into Arabic, including Tolstoy
's War and Peace
. He has won several prestigious literary awards including the Sultan al-Owais Prize and the Naguib Mahfouz Medal. He was invited to St Antony's College, Oxford
in 1979 as a visiting scholar and has participated in numerous cultural festivals, including the London Literature Festival in 1999.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
novelist, writer and critic. He was born in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to a Coptic Christian family. He studied law at Alexandria University
Alexandria University
Alexandria University is a university in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1938 as a satellite of Fuad University , becoming an independent entity in 1942. It was known as Farouk University until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 when its name was changed to the University of Alexandria...
and worked briefly in banking and insurance. He was also actively engaged in left-wing politics and spent two years in jail from 1948–50. 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...
in the mid-1950s where he worked for a time as a translator at the Romanian
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
embassy.
Al-Kharrat has been described as "one of Egypt's most influential fiction writers" and "one of the most important writers in the Arab world". He was a leading figure among the group of Egyptian writers known as the Sixties Generation, and founded and edited the literary journal Gallery 68, considered to be the mouthpiece of that generation. In this role, al-Kharrat promoted and disseminated the works of such writers as Sonallah Ibrahim
Sonallah Ibrahim
Son'allah Ibrahim is an Egyptian novelist and short story writer and one of the "Sixties Generation" who is known for his leftist and nationalist views which are expressed rather directly in his work...
, Bahaa Taher
Bahaa Taher
Bahaa Taher , sometimes transliterated as Bahaa Tahir, Baha Taher, or Baha Tahir, is an Egyptian novelist who writes in Arabic. He was awarded the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008.-Life:...
, Ibrahim Aslan, Yahya Taher Abdullah
Yahya Taher Abdullah
Yahya Taher Abdullah was an Egyptian writer.Abdullah grew up in Upper Egypt but moved to Cairo in 1964 at the age of 28. One of the first to recognize his talents was the writer and editor Edwar al-Kharrat who arranged a monthly stipend for him. Nonetheless, Abdullah lived a meagre existence...
, and Gamal al-Ghitani
Gamal Al-Ghitani
Gamal el-Ghitani, is an Egyptian author of historical and political novels and cultural and political commentaries and was the editor-in-chief of the literary periodical Akhbar Al-Adab till 2011.-Biography:...
. He also had a lengthy association with the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) and the Afro-Asian Writers’ Association, and edited Lotus, a journal of African and Arabic literature.
As a writer, his first book was a collection of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
called High Walls, published in 1958/59. Two more volumes of stories came out in the 1970s. Also in 1979, his first novel Rama and the Dragon was published to widespread critical acclaim. A "daringly experimental" work, Rama has been called "a breakthrough for the Arab novel". Al-Kharrat himself described the novel as "untranslatable", although an English translation was completed by Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden
John Verlenden
John Verlenden is an American academic, writer and award-winning translator of Arabic literature. He obtained a BA in English literature from Rhodes College in 1986 followed by an MFA in Creative Writing from Louisiana State University in 1988...
and published by the AUC Press
AUC Press
The AUC Press was established in 1960 and reorganized in 1984. It is the Middle East’s largest English language publishing house. Its goal is to support the cultural exchange mission of its parent university....
in 2002 after winning the 1999 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature. It is given to the best contemporary novel written in Arabic, but not available in English translation. The winning book is then translated into English, and published by American University in Cairo Press...
. The Arab Writers Union
Arab Writers Union
The Arab Writers Union is an association of Arab writers. The Union is currently based in Cairo where it moved in 2008....
ranked Rama at 8th in its list of the 100 best Arabic novels.
Al-Kharrat has also translated a number of foreign literary works into Arabic, including Tolstoy
Tolstoy
Tolstoy, or Tolstoi is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy who served under Vasily II of Moscow...
's War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
. He has won several prestigious literary awards including the Sultan al-Owais Prize and the Naguib Mahfouz Medal. He was invited to St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.St Antony's is the most international of the seven all-graduate colleges of the University of Oxford, specialising in international relations, economics, politics, and history of particular parts of the...
in 1979 as a visiting scholar and has participated in numerous cultural festivals, including the London Literature Festival in 1999.
Selected works
- Rama and the Dragon, translated by Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden
- City of Saffron, translated by Frances LiardetFrances LiardetFrances Liardet is a writer and translator of Arabic literature. She has translated several book-length works, including two books by the modernist Egyptian writer Edwar al-Kharrat and one by Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz....
- Girls of Alexandria, translated by Frances Liardet
- Stones of Bobello, translated by Paul StarkeyPaul StarkeyPaul Starkey is a British scholar and translator of Arabic literature. He received his doctorate from Oxford University; the subject of his dissertation was the works of the Egyptian writer Tawfiq Hakim. He is currently the head of the Arabic department at the University of Durham...