Al-Katib al-misri (magazine)
Defunct literary magazine in Egypt (1945–1948)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Egyptian journal al-Katib al-misri (Arabic: الكاتب المصري; DMG: al-Kātib al-miṣrī; English: "The Egyptian Writer") was published in Cairo monthly in the period 1945–1948.[1] It featured articles on literature, arts and science. Although its publisher was Jewish, the magazine did not emphasize this fact.[2] However, Taha Hussein, editor of the magazine, was accused of being part of the Zionist movement due to his post.[2]
Cover page of the first issue | |
| Editor | Taha Hussein |
|---|---|
| Categories | Literature, Arts, Science |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Founded | 1945 |
| First issue | October 1945 |
| Final issue | May 1948 |
| Country | Egypt |
| Based in | Cairo |
| Language | Arabic |
| Website | nbn-resolving |
History and profile
Al-Katib al-misri was founded originally by the Egyptian Press and Publishing House owned by the Jewish Al Harari family who entrusted Taha Hussein with the management.[2][3] The magazine was modelled on the French magazine Les Temps modernes.[4] The first issue appeared in October 1945.[2] The magazine published a total of 32 issues and was available in numerous Arab metropolises.[5] The last issue of al-Katib al-misri was dated May 1948.[2]
The focus of the journal was the publication of international literature and literary criticism, which were translated into Arabic and so helped to reach a broader readership. Both Arabic and non-Arabic art, literature and science were encouraged and a dialogue between Arabic and other languages should be established.[5] As one of the first post-war magazines, al-Katib al-misri also aimed to make its vision of the enlightenment accessible to all and to promote mutual cultural exchange.[6] "Literature should be lifted above all conflicts existing world-wide."[7]
Major contributors included Mahmud Taymur, Tawfiq Al Hakim, Mohammed Mahdi Al Jawahiri, Yahya Haqqi and Luwis Awad.[2] Arabic translations among others, of works by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry or Jean-Paul Sartre,[6] were published, texts of promising new Arab authors[8] as well as literary criticism, which also offered an introduction by Western authors such as James Joyce or Franz Kafka.[9]
Moreover, two other sections also discussed in detail the contents and orientations of Arabic and European periodicals of the time.[8] In 1948, the publication of the magazine was stopped,[4] whereby it is not clear whether this was spontaneous or under governmental pressure.[9]
