Introduction

'At the age of four, he ran to his room with tears in his eyes, shivering and weeping bitterly. When his father asked him what the matter was, the little boy said that he had heard that all people were eventually going to die. He asked his father if that were true, and when the answer was a 'yes' he wept again. The fact that death was everybody's end, shocked him at such an early age and onwards. He pitied all people for sharing such a horrifying end. The idea of death haunted him for the rest of his life. However, such feelings of horror and fear were , in later years, replaced by an enroumous love and sympathy for all mankind and such feelings are beautifully depicted in most of his writings. As much as Eassa analysed and criticised Man, he yet wept for Man whom he saw to be helplessly going towards his own termination without choosing such an end.

Dr. Youssef Ezeddin Eassa is one significant 20th. century writer and thinker, who has a writing school of his own, where imagination, fact and dream are amazingly merged to create a deep analysis of our real world today. Youssef Ezeddin Eassa mastered all forms of writings; short stories, novels, dramas, poetry, articles and analytical essays. He was also the founder of radio drama in Egypt and the Middle East , and has transformed it to an elite and most interesting form of literature

Alongside with being a writer, he was also a Zoology professor who obtained his PH.D from Sheffield University , England , later then, a Fulbrighter visiting professor in U.S.A. , 1961-1962. He was the first and only Egyptian to practice both science and art at their highest levels and to continue doing so until the end of his life.

His significance as a 20th century figure, lies in the quality of what he wrote; the originality and depths of his ideas. He went beyond local problems; he was a man with a global outlook as a thinker, philosopher, writer and a meditative scientist who founded a formidable connection between sciences, arts and thought, while having to live in the third world and trying to reform the misfits which nobody else bothered to see.

Youssef Ezeddin Eassa wrote around 200 short stories, 9 novels 6 plays and a good number of poems, besides almost 400 pieces of radio drama. Unlike most Egyptian or Arab writers, his writings do not cover a local area or a specific place, but he speaks about humanity everywhere, with a global prospective. He was a man from the east, who looked upon the west with a friendly eye, believing earth to be one place where mankind live, feel, suffer and share one destiny.

Known as a 'Master of Symbolic Fiction' , in his writings he has a world of his own where a fertility of imagination is molded with symbol to depict our real world. This original mold is spontaneous and together with the simplicity of his style, they captivate a reader to the very last word. Mostly, he is a philosophical sarcastic writer, mystic and at times bitter. His works were inspired by his intellect and his visions of life as a thinker, scientist, poet and artist, reflecting an insight in life, thought and society. He was a man of his century; arts, paintings, sciences, music, philosophies of the age and concepts of modernism all appeared in his literature giving it a most distinguished and original characteristic.

Alongside with fiction, he wrote over a hundred articles and weekly columns in the most prominent papers and magazines in Egypt and the Middle East . Moreover, he wrote analytical essays introducing world writers of fiction to the Arab world. He was also Head of the Club of Fiction, a member of the High Committee of Arts and Literature in Egypt , Editor of Amwag Magazine, Cultural Editor of Al Ayam Paper

In 1987, he was awarded the National Prize for Literary Art, which is the highest award in Egypt , "for founding a new school of writing style, which had influenced many writers". His award broke the rule in Egypt , for he was the first and only Egyptian writer, residing outside the capital, to obtain the National Literary Award. Cairo Writers never wished for a writer residing outside the capital to earn this prestige; yet with Eassa rules were broken. Moreover, it was extremely unusual in Egypt for a professor of science to be either nominated or to obtain a State Literary Award. Earlier in 1978, Eassa was also granted, a State Prize for his radio dramas, " For transforming the radio drama to an elite form of literature." No other Egyptian writer was granted the State Award for radio drama.

Among other prestigious awards are The Sciences and Arts Badge of Honours of the First Degree, in 1979, The Republic Badge of Honours, in 1981, The Golden Radio Jubilee Award, The Silver Television Jubilee Award, The Sciences and Arts Badge of Honours of the First Degree, again, in1988, together with numerous Shields of Honour, medals and certificates from the Cultural Palaces of Egypt, and was granted many medals and Shields of Honour in the field of science from Alexandria University; from other universities as well.

Eassa was selected as Best Literary Character in Egypt for the years, 1998, and 1999

In April 1999, he was granted The Knighthood Badge of Honours, a few months before his death, for his efforts "in raising the standard of writing in his country and for introducing an original form of writing which has influenced other writers."

In 2001, The Cultural Salon in Alexandria 's greatest Cultural Palace , " Center of Creativity ", was named after him, The Youssef Ezeddin Eassa Literary Salon.