winner Critisism & Literature Studies
Fifth Circle 1996-1997

• Born in Al Mahala Al Kubra, Egypt, 1944
• Did his BA in Arabic Literature with merit from Cairo University in 1965
• Did his MA with merit in 1969
• Did his PhD with merit from Cairo University in 1973
• Started teaching at university in 1966
• Assistant visiting lecturer in Arabic Literature at Wisconsin Madison University 1977-1978
• Visiting lecturer in Arabic Criticism at Stockholm University 1981-1982
• Lecturer and Assistant Dean at Kuwait University 1983-1988
• Professor of Arabic Criticism at Cairo University 1988
• General Secretary of  Egypt’s Higher Council of Culture 1993
• Visiting lecturer in Arabic Criticism at Harvard University 1995

Other Activities

• Jury member for the following awards: Egypt’s State Merit Award, Kuwait’s Scientific Advancement Award, the UAE’s Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Award
• Fousule magazine’s Editor-in-Chief 1990
• Qadhaya and Shahadat magazine’s editor 1990-1992
• Consultant for the following Publication: the Jordanian Al Mahd, AUC’s Alef, Kuwaiti Ministry of Information’s Alam Al Fikr as well as magazines of Literature Colleges at universities of Sana’a, Yarmouk, Kuwait, Baghdad, Al Riyadh and UAE
• Participated in dozens of conferences and specialized symposia inside and outside the Arab World

Awards

• Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s Best Criticism Work Award
• Kuwaiti Scientific Advancement Establishment Award for Best Literary Study
• Cairo International Book Fair’s Best Book in Human Studies Award
• Tunisian Honour of Culture

Decision of the General Secretariat

Dr. Assfour’s works are creative and diverse in his study of traditional Arab criticism. They deal with contemporary criticism as well. This has enriched Arab criticism through several significant additions, especially in the domain of criticising criticism.

Famous Works

• Artistic Image in Criticism and Rhetorical Heritage
• The Concept of Poetry and the Study of Criticism Heritage
• Al Maray Al Motajawira, Criticism of Taha Hussain
• Renwelism and Renewalists
• Understanding Criticism Heritage
• Enlightenment against Darkness
• Enlightenment Trouble
• In Defence of Enlightenment
• Notes on the Books of Enlightenment
• Lights of mind

Translations

• The Age of Structuralism
• Marxism and Criticism
• Modern Vision of Literature