Nabil Naoum

Nabil Naoum is an Egyptian writer and critic. He was born in Cairo, in 1944. He studied Engineering in Cairo University and then went to the United States, where he worked as an engineer in New York City for ten years. In 1979 he returned to Cairo, where he opened a gallery for modern art and turned more seriously towards writing. Since 2000, Naoum has been a member of the selection committee of the Biennale for Arabic Film at the Arab World Institute in Paris. he was married to Suzanne El Masry and his daughter is the famous screenwriter Mariam Naoum.

Nabil Naoum was born in Cairo, 1944. He studied Engineering in Cairo University and then went to the United States, where he worked as an engineer in New York City for ten years. During this time he wrote his first short stories, some of which were published in Egyptian literary magazines. In 1977 his first novel, 'Al-bâb' (Engl: The Door) came out, in Egypt.  In 1979 he returned to Cairo, where he opened a gallery for modern art and turned more seriously towards writing.  In the 1980s he published a series of short story collections, among them is the French-Arabic volume 'Le Caire est petit' (1985; Engl: Cairo is Small).  Furthermore, a collection of twenty stories came out in English translation under the title The Slave's Dream and Other Stories (1991). In addition to his prose, Nabil Naoum has published several essays on contemporary Arab art and photography.  Since 2000, he has been a member of the selection committee of the Biennale for Arabic Film at the Arab World Institute in Paris. Nabil Naoum has lived in Cairo and Paris since 1993.