Mahmoud Al-Wardani

Mahmoud Al-Wardani
Born	1 January 1950 Cairo
Nationality	Egyptian
Occupation(s)	writer, narrator, storyteller and journalist

Mahmoud Al-Wardani (Arabic: محمود الورداني ) is an Egyptian writer, novelist, storyteller and journalist. He was born on January 1 1950, in the Shubra neighborhood of Cairo. He graduated from the Institute of Social Work in 1972, participated in the October War in 1973, co-founded the newspaper Akhbar Al-Adab. Some of his short stories where translated to French and English.

Early life

He suffered from orphanhood at a young age and was forced to work at an early age where he moved between different professions. He worked as a seller of ice, in a laundry, in a cane juice shop, a cafe, then a studio. His love of reading was his only escape from the troubles of life He then started writing which he loved as much as reading and a way to express his feeling to that depression does not get to him. He published his first novel work in the early eighties in the 20th century. He also got into student council as student in the institute where he studied and participated in a political debate. He was arrested in 1972 after the protest of students. He remained affiliated with the Egyptian left and aligned with his class, which he remained defending and speaking in the same language in his novels and anecdotal works, as he saw that there is no separation, and there is no conflict between the ideology of the writer and his political and intellectual bias, and believed in the error of the saying "ideology in literature is like impurities in gold". He joined many secret lefties organizations such as Hadto Organization which he wrote about in his book "Hadto: A Biography of a Communist Organization" (Original title: hdtw: syrt dhatyt lmnzmt shywey). He also joined the movement "Kefaya" against corruptionparticipated in the era of the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, and participated in its demonstrations against corruption and the succession project. In the 25th of January 2011 revolution, since its early days, which ended with Mubarak's resignation.

Works and publications

Mahmoud Al-Wardani wrote many books that varied between long novels and short story collections, including:

·      Walking in the Garden at Night (Original title: alsayr fi alhadiqat lylan) (a collection of short stories): Published in 1984 in Cairo.

·      Nuba Return (Original title: nubat rujue) (novel): It was published in 1990 by the Egyptian General Book Organization in Cairo.

·      The Smell of Oranges (Original title: rayihat alburtuqal )(a novel): It was published in 1992 by Sharqiyat Publishing House in Cairo, then reprinted by the Egyptian General Book Organization in Cairo in 2007.

·      Al-Rawd Al-Atir (novel): published in 1993 by Dar Al-Hilal for printing and publishing, Cairo.

·      The High Stars (Original title: alnujum alealia) (a collection of short stories): Published in 1985.

·      In the Shadow and the Sun (Original title: fi alzili walshams) (a short story collection): Published in 1995.

·      Taste of the Fire (Original title: taem alhariq) (novel): It was published in 1995, and in 2020, a television series based on the novel was released entitled “The Moon is the End of the World” (Original title: ), starring Bushra, and directed by Tamer Hamza.

·      Awan Al-Qitaf  (novel): It was published in 2002 by Dar Al-Hilal for printing, publishing and distribution in Cairo.

·      Hadto: A Biography of a Communist Organization Published in 2007 by Dar Al-Hilal for Printing and Publishing in Cairo.

·      Music of the Mall (Original title: musiqaa almul) (novel): published in 2007 by Da Merit Publishing, Cairo.

·      The Morning Party (Original title: alhafl alsabahiu) (a collection of short stories): It was published in 2008 by Dar Al Mahrousa for Publishing, Cairo.

·      Some of what can be said - papers that are not personal (Original title: baed mayumkin qawluh - 'awraq laysat shakhsiatan): issued in 2009 by the Egyptian General Authority for Cultural Palaces in Cairo.

·      Freedom Tales (Original title: hikayat alhuriyati): Published in 2011 by the Egyptian General Authority for Cultural Palaces in Cairo.

·      The House of Fire (Original title: bayt alnaar)(novel): It was published in 2012 by Merit Publishing House, Cairo.

·      Searching for Dina (Original title: albahth ean dina)(a novel): It was published in 2016 by Dar Al-Kutub Khan Publishing House, Cairo.

·      Bab Al-Khaimah (Original title: bab alkhayma)(novel): It was published in 2018 by Al-Ain Publishing House.

·      The Silence of the Sands (Original title: samt alrima)(collection of short stories): It was published in 2018 by the Egyptian General Authority for Cultural Palaces in Cairo

Awards

The writer Mahmoud Al-Wardani has been honored by many parties in Egypt and the Arab world, and has received many literary awards, the most important of which are:

·      The first prize in the novel branch for senior writers, equally, in the 2013 Sawiris Cultural Competition for his novel “House of Fire.”