A new book about the prominent late Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, Days with Naguib Mahfouz, was released on Thursday 22 February, telling untold stories of Mahfouz’s life.

Written by critic-cum-author Fathy El-Ashry, the book is comprised of real life situations and conversations that Mahfouz had with his friend El-Ashry. It also recounts Mahfouz’s life after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.

Some of the chapters portray the moments Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize, his time divided between cinema and books, his life at coffee shops, and his countless personal statements.

El-Ashry also explains the events behind the painting and sculpture of Mahfouz by Ahmed Sabry and Abdelaziz Saab respectively. Both artistic works have not been exposed to the public to this day, according to a press release by the Academic Bookshop.

Publisher and head of the Academic Bookshop Ahmed Amin mentioned in the press release that El-Ashry’s book is worth reading as it contains special unknown moments of Mahfouz’s life.

In his introduction, El-Ashry wrote that he never intended to take advantage of his personal interactions with Mahfouz, but rather, the book is merely a modest attempt to allow fans to know more about the legendary writer.