Mahmoud Kassem - born 9 July 1949 in Alexandria-Egypt is a writer, translator, film critic and professor best known for his literary work for children and young adults, novels, essays and a large collection of encyclopaedias.He has received numerous Egyptian and Arabic awards in children's writing and radio drama, most recently the Best Literary Study Award entitled "Arabic Literature Written in French".
Kassem received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Alexandria in 1972. He held several positions away from the field of literature, working in the Information Department of the UNESCO National Division from 1975 until 1977, then at the Institute of Commercial Art of the Technological College of Alexandria as Head of the Library Department from 1977 until 1984 and at the Egypt Foreign Trade Company of Alexandria from 1984 until 1985. In 2007 he took a teaching position in the department of animation studies in the School of Arts, Minia University.
He served as editor-in-chief of the Riwayat Hilal , series of novels published by Dar Al Hilal starting in 1985, editor-in-chief of children's books in the same publishing house in 1999 and 2011, after which he continued his own writing.
He loved cinema and in 1993 he started his renowned Encyclopedia of Egyptian Cinema with new editions every year followed by Arab Cinema. He published about ten novels, over twenty books on Egyptian cinema and more than 10,000 articles in Arabic newspapers and magazines. He began writing articles in 1980 for the Evening Journal, and then for the Kuwaiti Arabic Magazine.Despite the publication of 25 encyclopedias, Al-kassem refused to be named by anyone as the writer of the encyclopedia because he had done nothing but plant the first seed: gather information, give responsibility to cultural institutions to take over the rest of the process, and he avoided discussing his work at seminars and cultural gatherings. Kassem also translated many works from the French, including four issues by the Egyptian-French writer, Albert Qasiri.He also produced television and radio series for adults as well as children including "Adventures of Gilgel and Pepper," which were shown on Egyptian and Arabic radio channels.
Some of his publications:
Novels
"Why," 1982.
"Wealth," Higher Council of Culture, Cairo, 1983. This novel was influenced by the novel "The Tatar Desert" by the Italian writer, Dino Buzzetti.
"Alternative," General Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 1987.
"Charleston Days," General Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 1998.
"Facts of the Young Years," Arab Press Agency, Giza, 2017.
"The Time of Abdel Halim Hafez," Arab Press Agency, Giza, 1997.
"Life Is Single Feminine," Centre for Arab Civilization, Cairo, 2003.
"Acts of Love," Intishar Foundation, Beirut, 2003.
"Running Above Water," Dar Waad, Cairo, 2012. The author was inspired by the reality of this novel, which makes the reader empathize with its stories. The novel recounts the lives of eight famous people in their fields and enlists others to write on their behalf. These include the editor-in-chief of a major newspaper, a children's story anchor, a storyteller, a film screenwriter, a television writer, an Arabic language teacher, a politician and an office for preparing science letters for graduate students. From the realism of the stories, the reader will feel that these characters live in our world. The novel contains many experiences that are recounted in an unfamiliar new version. This novel was released eight years after the release of "Acts of Love," and printed more than once.
"The Last Days of Alexandria," General Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 2001.
"The Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle," Sunrise Publishing and Distribution House, Cairo, 1996.
"Film and Literature in Egypt," General Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 1999.
"Najib Mahfouz Between Film and Novel," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2011.
"Taha Hussain: Traveller of Will, "Maaref , Cairo, 1995.
"The Kidnapping of Michael Jackson," Sunrise Publishing and Distribution House, Cairo, 1995.
"Egyptian Cinema and Thrillers," Cultural Publishing House, Cairo, 1998.
Atlantis, Egypt Renaissance, Giza, 1989.
Encyclopaedias
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema," first part, 1933–1945.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema: Second Part 1946 to 1949," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema, Third Part From the Beginning to the End of 1952," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema, Fourth Part 1953-1956," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema: Fifth Part 1946 to 1949," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema, Sixth Part of 1970 to 2004," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Songs in Egyptian Cinema, Fifth Part 2005 to 2013," General Authority for Culture Palaces, Cairo, 2014.
"Encyclopaedia of Literature at the End of the 20th Century," Egyptian-Lebanese House, Cairo, 2009.
Cinematic studies
"Remakes of Foreing Films in Egyptian Cinema " Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 2002. In this book, the writer includes remakes of universal films and novels that do not mention the source. He explains that the history of such remakes stretches from 1933 to 2020, and aims to uncover poor cinematography in Egyptian cinema and film thefts hidden by producers.
"Nabila Ebeid Cinema." This book deals with Nabila Ebeid's cinematic work during 50 years away from her personal life, highlighting her period in early 1960 until 1990. Kassem worked on this book for about two years.
Plays
"Gifted Zizo" 1997 (first edition), 2007 (second edition).
"Zizo Digital," 2002.
Translations
He translated over nineteen novels most of which were awarded the Novel Prize for Literature. He is also well known for translating most of Albert Cossery's work:
Lord of the Flies in 1982 before William Golding received his Nobel.
"Love Lasts Three Years" by Frederick Beigbeder, Tuwa for publishing and media, Lebanon, 2015.
"Hygiene and the Assassin ," by Emily Nothomb, Hilal , Cairo, 2003.
"The Elegance of the Hedgehog," by Muriel Barbaway, Arab Press Agency, Giza, 2019.
Awards
State award from the Academy of Scientific Research for his Encyclopedia of Scientists for Children.
State award for his children series " Stories that changed the World "
Best Literary Study Award for his study "Arabic Literature Written in French," Writers' Union.
