Literary history

By Naguib Mahfouz

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Literature can never be separated from national events and the irrevocable march of history. However much it may reside in its own enclosed world, a literary work cannot evolve independently of society. It is inextricably linked with what goes on around it, the most obvious reason being that society provides literature with the raw material from which it is forged.

Literature is also a player on the stage of history. One has only to think of Voltaire and Rousseau, whose work paved the way for the French Revolution, to realise that literature can play not only an evaluative but a preemptory role. Closer to home we have Tawfiq El-Hakim's Awdat Al-Roh (Return of the Spirit), which inspired Gamal Abdel- Nasser in 1952.

Literature is the great interpreter.

In the wake of epoch making events literature becomes commentator and critic, assessing and reassessing their impact on every facet of life. As an author I have dealt with both the 1919 and the 1952 revolutions. Yet subsequent events like the October War remain unrepresented. The truth is that such events took place during a literary recession of sorts.

There may never be an Egyptian novel like War and Peace, but when I recently reread some of my own short stories inspired by the October War I was -- and I should confess this was somewhat unexpected -- rather pleased with them.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.