Almost equal in its effect on the trilogy was Mahfouz’s 1967 novel Miramar, which, in terms of technique, shows the extent to which Mahfouz was influenced by Western literary styles. The story has many structural similarities to Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet, following the same incidents described in that novel through the eyes of four characters living in a seaside hotel in Alexandria. Its deeper meaning, however, mirrors the struggle for political independence from the dictatorial rule of Nasser. By 1978, the novel had been translated into English, and even at this early stage, British author John Fowles described Mahfouz as a “significant novelist” and wrote an insightful introduction to the translation. However, just as the novel began gaining a strong readership, Egypt faced a devastating and unexpected defeat in the 1967 Six Day War with Israel. In response, Mahfouz took a five-year moratorium from writing novels and instead published 14 volumes of short anecdotes, as dark as the mood reigning over Cairo at the time. Although Mahfouz is most remembered for his novels, one of his short stories, Zaabalwai, is considered one of the best stories in Arabic ever written; so much so, that apart from some excerpts of the Qur’an, it is the only piece of Arabic literature to be included in the Norton Masterpieces of the World.

In 1989, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, mimicking Ayotal-lah Khomeini’s death sentence on Salman Rushdie, pronounced a similar sentence against Mahfouz for his three-decade-old Children of Our Alley. Sure enough, five years later, in October 1994, Mahfouz was attacked by a man who accused Mahfouz of blasphemy and stabbed the 82-year-old author in the neck. Mahfouz’s injuries paralyzed his right arm, permanently impairing his ability to write. Mahfouz’s spirit, however, was not broken and, determined to continue his work, he kept his schedule as busy as he could, attempting to go out six days a week to share banter, ideas and discussion with friends at local coffee shops.

Although Mahfouz was renowned all over the Arab world by 1988, when he won the Nobel, he remained relatively unknown in the West. Only about a dozen of his works had been translated into German, Swedish and French.

Despite his financial constraints, Mahfouz donated much of his $390,000 Nobel award to charity. He had always supported his wife, Attiyat-Allah, and two daughters, Fatima and Umm Kulthum, primarily from his modest salary as a civil servant. He sent his daughters to Stockholm to accept the Nobel in his stead due to his dwindling health. However, neither the fame nor fortune altered the state of this modest man or his family’s daily routine.

Every morning for four decades, Mahfouz would have breakfast at the downtown Ali Baba Café. Toward the end of his life, he commented on his favorite spot: “It used to be more quiet. Now it is disturbing but more progressive, better for ordinary people—and therefore better for me also, as one who likes his fellow humans.” He would make it a point to meet with four of his closest friends weekly; his last semi-autobiographical novel, Qushtumar, talks about what happened during these happy meetings.

In July 2006, after he sustained a head injury, Mahfouz was admitted to the hospital, where he spent the last month of his life. His legacy—more than 30 novels, hundreds of short stories, essays and articles, dozens of movie scripts and five plays – mark his unmatched 70-year career. In a 2002 interview with the New York Times, Mahfouz said, “That is the way of life. You give up your pleasures one by one until there is nothing left, then you know it is time to go.”

A small ceremony attended by 200 mourners was held at Al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo, where, surprisingly, members of the Muslim Brotherhood came to offer their condolences, despite the statement on their website that “‘Children of Gebelawi’ was a violation of Islamic tenets.” The party’s leader told The Associated Press, “We are not gods to punish and reward people. It’s not time to judge him or history, we’re asking for (God’s) mercy for him. He was a great writer.”

Mahfouz is survived by his wife and two daughters. One can only hope that his legacy does not end with his death, but that his words will continue to inspire future writers of equal merit.

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DARAH RATEB is a freelance writer and a graduate of American University in Cairo.