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Ezzat El Kamhawi

エザット・エル・カムハウィ

Ezzat El Kamhawi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1961-12-23 （Sharqia Governorate, Egypt）
Nationality
Egypt
Languages
Arabic
Residence History
Sharqia Governorate (birthplace) → Cairo → Doha (editorial tenure)

Career

Occupations
novelist, journalist, editor
Active Years
1983-
Affiliations
Al-Akhbar (worked), Akhbar Al-Adab (helped establish), al-Doha Cultural Magazine (Senior Editor)

Education

Cairo University
Faculty of Mass Communications / Department of Journalism
Degree: 学士
Period: 1979-1983
Year of Graduation: 1983
Country: Egypt

Awards

Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
2012
Work: House of the Wolf
Organization: Naguib Mahfouz Medal committee
Result: 受賞
Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press
2022
Work: Suspicious architecture: The obsession with grand buildings and wide streets
Category: Opinion Piece
Organization: Samir Kassir Award committee
Result: 受賞
Sheikh Zayed Book Award (shortlist)
2018
Work: At Least We Are Together
Organization: Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Result: ショートリスト
Sheikh Zayed Book Award (shortlist)
2021
Work: The Passengers Hall
Organization: Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Result: ショートリスト
Sheikh Zayed Book Award (shortlist)
2022
Work: Strangers at Home
Organization: Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Result: ショートリスト

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The City of Pleasure

1997 Novel (allegorical)

An allegorical novel set in a unique city ruled by the goddess of pleasure, blending myth and satire around desire and enchantment.

desirecityallegory

A Room Overlooking the Nile

2004 Novel

A novel centered on a room overlooking the Nile, exploring relationships and memory.

memoryrelationshipsurban life

House of the Wolf

2010 Novel

A novel that allegorically examines power and human nature; it was translated into English and received international recognition.

powerhuman natureallegory
Translations
  • English translation (AUC Press, 2013)

The Guard

2008 Novel

Through a story about surveillance and guardianship, the novel explores the relationship between society and the individual.

surveillancedutysociety

At Least We Are Together

2017 Short stories / mixed

A collection of stories depicting diverse human conditions. Shortlisted for the 2018 Sheikh Zayed Book Award.

relationshipsmovementloneliness

The Passengers Hall

2020 Novel / travel elements

A work themed on travel, memory, and movement. Shortlisted for the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award.

travelmemorydisplacement

Strangers at Home

2021 Short stories

A collection exploring alienation and belonging within domestic spaces. Shortlisted for the 2022 Sheikh Zayed Book Award.

alienationhomebelonging

Bibliography

  • It Happened in the Land of Dust and Mud (1992)
  • The City of Pleasure (1997)
  • Times for Joy (2000)
  • The Grove of Sadness and Bliss (2003)
  • A Room Overlooking the Nile (2004)
  • The Guard (2008)
  • Book Seductiveness (2009)
  • House of the Wolf (2010)
  • Gold and Glass (2011)
  • Shame from Both Sides (2011)
  • The Sea Behind the Curtains (2013)
  • The Sky in an Imminent Way (2016)
  • At Least We Are Together (2017)
  • What Sami Jacoub Saw (2019)
  • The Passengers Hall (2020)
  • Strangers at Home (2021)
  • The Grove of Sadness and Bliss (extended edition) (2022)

Translations of Works

  • House of the Wolf — English translation (AUC Press, 2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
allegoricalmodern narrative with mythic elementslyrical and satirical
Recurring Motifs
citymemorymovementpower and desire

Legacy

One of the prominent contemporary Egyptian novelists, known for allegorical, myth-infused narratives and incisive portrayals of society and power. He has also influenced the literary field as an editor and journalist.

Trivia

  • Worked at Al-Akhbar and helped establish the literary magazine Akhbar Al-Adab.
  • Served as Senior Editor of al-Doha Cultural Magazine from May 2011 to September 2013.
  • Won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2012 for 'House of the Wolf'.