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Adel Esmat

アデル・エスマト

Adel Esmat

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1959-01-01 （Gharbia Governorate, Egypt）
Nationality
Egypt
Languages
Arabic

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Library specialist
Active Years
1995-
Affiliations
Egyptian Ministry of Education (library specialist)
Nominations
2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction — shortlisted

Education

Ain Shams University
Philosophy
Degree: BA
Year of Graduation: 1984
Country: Egypt
BA in Philosophy obtained in 1984
Tanta University
Library Science
Degree: BA
Year of Graduation: 1986
Country: Egypt
Degree in Library Science obtained in 1986
The American University in Cairo (listed)
Country: Egypt
Listed as an alma mater in sources; details unclear

Awards

State Encouragement Award (for Novels)
2011
Work: Days of the Blue Windows
Organization: Government of Egypt
Result: 受賞
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
2016
Work: Tales of Yusuf Tadrus
Organization: The American University in Cairo / Naguib Mahfouz Medal committee
Result: 受賞
Sawiris Award
2019
Work: The Commandments
Organization: Sawiris Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Obsession of Death

1995 Novel

Early novel published in 1995 dealing with themes of death and obsession.

deathobsessionpsychology of the individual

The Naked Man

1998 Novel

Published in 1998, examines relations between the individual and society.

societyisolation

Stable Life

2004 Novel

Published in 2004; a story about everyday life and its transformations.

everyday lifechange

Days of the Blue Windows

2009 Novel

Interweaves community life and personal memory; won the State Encouragement Award in 2011.

communitymemoryfamily

People and Places

2010 Novel

Published in 2010; collects fragmentary stories of various people and places.

sense of placecharacter studies

Tales of Yusuf Tadrus

2015 Novel

Published in 2015; a novel portraying Coptic community life and art. Won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal in 2016 and was translated into English.

religious lifeartcommunity
Translations
  • English translation published by The American University in Cairo

Reem’s Conditions

2017 Novel

Published in 2017; delves into an individual's inner life and relationships.

inner liferelationships

The Crow’s Sound

2017 Novel

Published in 2017; concurrently released with other works addressing social themes.

social critiquesymbolism

The Commandments

2018 Novel

Published in 2018; a novel about morals and directives, shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and winner of the Sawiris Award.

moralityauthority

Fragments

2015 Short story collection

A 2015 short story collection gathering fragments of daily life and character sketches.

fragmentationeveryday life

Bibliography

  • Obsession of Death (Hages Al Mawt) — 1995
  • The Naked Man (Rajulun A’ari) — 1998
  • Stable Life (Hayat Mustaqera) — 2004
  • Days of the Blue Windows (Ayam Al-nawafath Al-zarqaa) — 2009
  • People and Places (Nass w Amaken) — 2010
  • Tales of Yusuf Tadrus (Hikayat Yusuf Tadrus) — 2015
  • Fragments (Qasasat) — 2015
  • Reem’s Conditions (Halatu Reem) — 2017
  • The Crow’s Sound (Sawt Al Ghurab) — 2017
  • The Commandments (Al Wasaya) — 2018

Translations of Works

  • Tales of Yusuf Tadrus — English translation published by The American University in Cairo

Style & Themes

Literary Style
realistic depictiondetailed observation of society and religioncharacter-focused interior narrative
Recurring Motifs
religious life (notably Coptic community)memory and fragments of the pastsymbolic depiction of everyday life

Legacy

Adel Esmat is a contemporary Egyptian novelist known for detailed portrayals of local and religious communities. Winning the Naguib Mahfouz Medal and other honors brought him international attention, and some works have been translated into English.

Trivia

  • Won the 2016 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for 'Tales of Yusuf Tadrus'.
  • Works as a library specialist at the Egyptian Ministry of Education.
  • His work sometimes depicts the life and art of Coptic communities.