Tawfiq al-Hakim

Tawfiq al-Hakim (1898-1987), the son of a wealthy Egyptian judge, was born in Alexandria. He studied law in Cairo, graduating in 1925, and then continued his studies in Paris. Following his return from France, he worked as a deputy prosecutor in Alexandria, combining his legal work with writing. In 1929, he transferred to the civil courts and worked in other cities, including Tanta, Damanhour and Dessouk. He also worked as a journalist in Akhbar al-Yom newspaper, and as a manager of the Egyptian National Library.

Although he wrote novels, poems and essays, he is best remembered as a prolific playwright who played a key role in the development of Arabic drama.

Articles about Tawfik al-Hakim

A prisoner of the mind
Extract from Hakim's autobiography (al-Ahram Weekly, 3 August, 2000

Changing theatrical direction
Another extract from Hakim's autobiography (al-Ahram Weekly, 8 October, 1998)

The wise sage of Arabic literature
A profile and bibliography (Egypt Magazine, January 1997)

The achievements of Tawfiq al-Hakim
by Roger Allen (from An Introduction to Arabic Literature, Cambridge University Press, 2000)

A century's judgment
An assessment of Hakim on the 100th anniversary of his birth (al-Ahram Weekly, 8 October, 1998)

An epigraph and much effort
Extracts from Taha Hussein's comment on Hakim's autobiography. Originally published in al-Akhbar newspaper, 30 January 1965, under the title Sahr al-'Umr (The Charm of Life)

Playing with narrative style
Naguib Mahfouz's view of Hakim

Translated works by Tawfiq al-Hakim

Fate of a Cockroach and Other Plays
Denys Johnson-Davies (translator). Paperback, 1980
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Fate of a Cockroach; Four Plays of Freedom
(African Writers Series, No. 117)
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In the Tavern of Life & Other Stories
Hardcover, 1998
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In the Tavern of Life and Other Stories
William Hutchins (editor). Paperback, 1998
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Maze of Justice: Diary of a Country Prosecutor, an Egyptian Novel
Hardcover, 1989
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Plays and Prefaces of Al-Hakim, Vol 2
Hardcover, 1982
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Plays, Prefaces and Postscripts of Tawfiq Al-Hakim
(UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
Contemporary Arab Authors Series, Vol 1)
Paperback, 1981
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Plays, Prefaces and Postscripts of Tawfiq Al-Hakim
(UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
Contemporary Arab Authors Series, Vol 2)
Hardcover, 1984
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Plays, Prefaces and Postscripts of Tawfiq Al-Hakim: Theatre of the Mind, Vol 1
William M. Hutchins (translator). Hardcover, 1981
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Return of the Spirit: Tawfiq Al-Hakim's Classic Novel of the 1919 Revolution: First Complete English Translation
Paperback, 1990
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Return of the Spirit: Tawfiq Al-Hakim's Classic Novel of the 1919 Revolution
William M. Hutchins (translator). Hardcover, 1991
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The Prison of Life: An Autobiographical Essay
Hardcover, 1993
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The Return of Consciousness
(New York University Studies in Near Eastern Civilization, No 10)
Richard Bayly Winder (translator). Hardcover, 1985
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The Tree Climber: A Play
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The Tree Climber: A Play
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Books about Tawfiq al-Hakim

Critical Perspectives on Tawfiq al-Hakim
William Hutchins (editor). Paperback, 1998
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From the Ivory Tower: A Critical Analysis of Tawfiq Al-Hakim (St. Anthony's Middle East Monographs, No 19)
Paul Starkey. Hardcover, 1988
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Tawfiq al-Hakim, playwright of Egypt
Richard Long.
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