The author's book "Asmahan Tells Her Story" was our book club selection for December 2008.
Find more information on our December 2008 book page.
Dubbed as "Prince of Journalism", Mohamed El Tabei (1896-1976), was the leading political writer, journalist and founder of modern press in Egypt and the Arab world. El Tabei revolutionalized Press from the prevailing extravagant style of the times, to a whole new world of short,fast,entertaining news yet elegant and easy to read.
Mohamed El Tabei or "El Ostaz as he became later known among his peers and colleagues, first joined "Rose El Youssef" in 1923, where he made revolutionary changes that brought it to the front line as a leading political magazine.
In 1934, he founded the weekly magazine "Akher Saa" which became the leading magazine in fast news with political jokes and caricatures. The first edition was sold out within the first hour. El Tabei was was also co founder of "El Masry" newspaper with Mahmoud Abul Fath, and then later on Karim Thabet joined them. Moreover, El Tabei was the only Egyptian Jouranlist to join the Royal 5 month trip to Europe in 1937; accordingly he was a close witness as well as participant in many historical events of the times.
Hassanein Heikal, Ihsan Abdel Koddous,Twins Mostafa and Ali Amin, Kamel El Shennawi, Ahmed Ragab ، Anis Mansour and Ibrahim El Werdani are among his most celebrated students.
Several of El Tabei's novels were turned into celebrated movie films, two into theatrical plays and one into a popular TV soap Opera in the 1960s.
A two parts Biography on El Tabei was prepared in 1987 by Sabry Abul Magd. More than a dozen other references are made in books on Egypt and its leading stars.
El Tabei's close relations with all the leading political, literary, musical and social stars of the times were phenomenal and unique in the modern history of Egypt
