Alfred Farag facts for kids

Alfred Farag (born June 14, 1929, in Kafr Al-Sayyadin, Zagazig, Egypt – died December 4, 2005) was a very important Egyptian writer. He was especially known for writing plays. He lived during an exciting time in Egypt, after the 1952 Revolution.

Alfred Farag studied English Literature at Alexandria University and graduated in 1949. After college, he worked as a teacher for a few years. In 1955, he decided to change careers. He started working as a writer and critic for newspapers. He wrote for several well-known publications like “Rose El Youssef”.

A New Era for Egyptian Theatre

Alfred Farag helped create new cultural projects in Egypt. He was part of starting the "mass culture" project, which aimed to bring arts to more people. He also helped set up theatre groups across Egypt. This made theatre popular even in smaller towns, not just big cities.

Theatre Renaissance

In the 1960s, Alfred Farag was a key figure in a big comeback for Egyptian theatre. He worked with other famous writers like Noaman Ashour and Yousef Edrees. Together, they made Egyptian plays exciting and new.

His Amazing Plays and Books

Alfred Farag wrote his first play, "Fall of Pharaoh," in 1957 when he was 26. After that, he became a very busy writer. He wrote about 52 plays!

Famous Works

Some of his most famous plays include:

• "The Barber of Baghdad" (1964)
• "Sulayman Al-Halabi" (1965)
• "Al-Zayr Salim" (1967)
• "Atwa with the Jack-Knife" (1993)

He also wrote shorter plays, like "Voice of Egypt" (1956) and "The Trap" (1965).

Important Topics in His Plays

Alfred Farag used his plays to talk about serious issues. For example, he wrote about:

• National independence: In plays like "The Epistles of the Judge of Seville" (1987).
• The Palestinian issue: In "Fire and Olives" (1970).

Some of his plays were so good that they were translated into other languages, like German and English. For example, "Ali Janah Al-Tabrizi and his Servant Quffa" (1969) was translated into both.

Beyond Plays

Besides plays, Alfred Farag also wrote novels and short stories. Two of his novels are:

• "The Story of the Lost Time" (1977)
• "The Days and Nights of Sindbad" (1988)

His Unique Writing Style

Alfred Farag had a special way of writing. He mixed everyday Egyptian language with more formal Arabic. This made his plays easy for everyone to understand and enjoy. Critics loved his writing style because it was lively and fresh. He also brought old Egyptian stories and traditions to life on stage in a way that felt real and not boring.

Awards and Recognition

Alfred Farag received many awards from Egypt, Arab countries, and around the world.

• He won the "Jerusalem" award from the General Union for Arab Writers. He was the first Egyptian writer to get this special award.
• In 1965, he received the National Award for Playwriting in Egypt.
• In 1967, he was given the Science and Arts Medal of the first order.

Later Life

Alfred Farag passed away on December 4, 2005, in St Mary's Hospital, London. He was 76 years old and had been ill for some time. He was buried in Cairo, Egypt.