Legacy Lives On: Remembering Yusuf Sibai On His 105th Birth Anniv.

Today marks the 105th birth anniversary of Yusuf Sibai, who is regarded as one of the greatest Arab authors of all time.

Yusuf Sibai was an exceptional literary figure and a renowned political official who singlehandedly reshaped the Arab region’s literature and Art. He was highly influential in introducing Arab culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally cited as the outstanding creative literature figure and author of early 20th-century Egypt.

His Early Life

Born on June 10, 1917, Sibai’s remarkable work in the field of literature has been praised for generations. Famous for his romantic books, he won numerous awards throughout his long-standing career.

After he received his degree from the Military Academy in 1973, he started his career in the armed forces.

‘Al Atiaf’ “Ghosts,” his first novel, was written while he was still in the Military Academy.

In 1952, the greatest Arab writer, who is also known as the Pioneer of Arabic Culture, ended up his military career as Director of the Military Museum.

His Breakthrough Hit

In 1959, he took over the helm as Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Arts and Secretary, and then he became Secretary-General of the Afro- Asian.

Five years later, he took another significant position as Minister of Culture in Anwar Sadat’s government.

Awards

He received numerous awards, including the State Award in the Arts in 1973 and a large number of medals.

His Death 

The remarkable writer breathed his last when he was assassinated on the 18th of February, 1978 by an extremist Palestinian group in Nicosia, Cyprus, where he was attending a conference dedicated to peace and security for the nations of the world.

On the author's 105th birth anniversary, here are 2 books by him, one must-read:

Bain El Atlal (Among the Ruins)

Bain El Atlal is a story about Mona a university student who falls in love with her professor, Mahmoud, who is also a gifted writer. Mahmoud proposes to Mona but her mother refuses and Mona marries another man and leaves Egypt. After many years, she returns to Egypt and visits a sick Mahmoud in a hospital. At that moment, Mahmoud expresses his love and confesses his feelings to Mona as he lies on his deathbed.

Rod Qalby (Back Again )

Considered to be one of Sebai's finest literary achievements, the novel follows the lives of a poor young man, the son of Janaini, named Ali (Shoukry Sarhan) and his brother Hussein (Salah Zulfikar), and Ali and his immortal love for a rich princess named Engy (Mariam Fakhr Eddine) who refused the concept of class discrimination and faced her father's categorical rejection of that marriage.

The tale also informs and teaches people about the greatness of selflessness, humility, and love that is found in all humans of all classes and backgrounds.