(1920-1987)

Sharkawi was a socially¬ committed author, deeply attached to the rural life of Lower Egypt, especially in his native Menoufia. His is best known for his novel Al-Ard (The Earth) which he wrote in 1954. It was translated into English by Desmond Stewart, and made into a film by Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. Sharkawi’s second novel was Ash-shawari"¬ul-khalfiyya (Back Streets).

He was known as a poet, and has written two verse plays, Ma"sah Jamila (The Tragedy of Jamila: on the Algerian national heroine Djamila Bouhaired) and Al-Fata Mahran.

Sharkawi graduated in law in 1943, and then worked as a lawyer, a civil servant, and a journalist. He was later in charge of the scenario-writing department of a film corporation.

Read Arabic Short Stories.