I thought they would never select an Eastern writer for the Nobel. I was surprised.

I reject any path which rejects life, but I can't help loving Sufism because it sounds so beautiful. It gives relief in the midst of battle... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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My countrymen have the right to shake my hand and talk to me if they so wish. Don't forget that their support and their reading of my works is what brought me the Nobel prize... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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Without literature my life would be miserable... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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We are like a woman with a difficult pregnancy. We have to rebuild the social classes in Egypt, and we must change the way things were... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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I didn't make any money from my writing until much later. I published about 80 stories for nothing. I spent on literature... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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Events at home, at work, in the street - these are the bases for a story... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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I wake up early in the morning and walk for an hour. If I have something to write, I prefer to write in the morning until midday, and in the afternoon, I eat... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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There are no heroes in most of my stories. I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, and values. That is art... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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One effect that the Nobel Prize seems to have had is that more Arabic literary works have been translated into other languages... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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If you want to move people, you look for a point of sensitivity, and in Egypt nothing moves people as much as religion... view

By: Naguib Mahfouz

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