winner Stories Novels & Drama
Fifth Circle 1996-1997

• Born in Juhaina village, Egypt, 1945
• Graduated from Arts School in 1962 where he studied carpet designing
• Worked as a carpet designer for the Egyptian Public for Cooperative Production and became manager of carpet factories in Minia Governate till 1966
• Arrested in 1966 among other writers for political reasons
• Started his work for Akhbar Al Youm publishing house in 1969
• Was war correspondent between 1969 and 1974
• Became the head of the literature department at Akhbar Al Youm in 1985, and cultural consultant in 1987
• Editor-in-Chief of Akhbar Al Adab in 1992 until now
• Many of his works were translated into French, Swedish, English, Dutch, German, Italian, etc.
• His works were studied by many Arab and foreign prominent scholars
• Participated in dozens of conferences and meetings in Arab countries, Europe and Latin America

Awards

• State Merit Novel Award
• Knight of French Legion of Honour
• Arab-French Friendship Awards for his novel Risalat Al Basa’er Fi Al Masa’er

Decision of the General Secretariat

The novels and stories of Jamal Al Ghitani are distinguished by their positive reflection of traditional Arabic narrative forms. He managed to develop a distinct style that relies mainly on that reflection. His narration is original and is packed with a critical view which gives his works richness in both form and substance.

Famous Works

• Chronicles of a Young Man Who Lived a Thousand Years Ago
• Land-Land
• Al Zowail
• Al Zaini Barakat
• Events In Harat Al Zaafaran
• Siege from Three Directions
• Stranger’s Tales
• Record of the Events
• Al Rifa’e
• Khoutat Al Ghitani
• Book of Revelations (3 vols.)
• Midnight of Exile
• Jungles of the Town
• Ithaful Zaman Bi Hikayat Jalabi Al Sultan
• Risala Fi Al Sababa Wal Wajd
• Risalat Al Basa’er Fi Al Masa’er
• Thimarul Waqt

Studies

• Egyptian and War, from June Shock to October Awakening
• Watchmen of Eastern Gate
• Naguib Mahfooz Remembers
• Mustafa Ameen Remembers
• Views of Cairo a Thousand Years Ago
• Endowments in Cairo
• My Known Diary
• Pigeon Fever
• Qout Al Oyoun
• Muntaha Al Talab Ila Turath Al Arab