Tawfiq al-Hakim

Tawfiq al-Hakim was born into a well-to-do family in Alexandria, Egypt. He studied law at Cairo University and then went to Paris to continue his legal studies, but he was more interested in the theatre. He returned to Egypt in 1930 and worked for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education, but he resigned in 1936 to dedicate himself to writing. He wrote more than 50 plays, many of which explored philosophical, social, and political themes. He also wrote novels, short stories, and autobiographical works. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Arabic novel and drama, and he influenced many Arab writers and intellectuals. He received several awards and honors, including the Egyptian State Prize for Literature in 1959 and the Collar of the Republic in 1972. He died of a heart attack in Cairo in 1987.