Ammon News - Sonallah Ibrahim, the acclaimed Egyptian novelist, died in Cairo on Wednesday at the age of 88 after being hospitalized with pneumonia.

Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno expressed deep sorrow over Ibrahim’s passing, describing him as one of the pillars of contemporary Arabic narrative and a creator whose work combined artistic sensibility with critical awareness. He said the loss was a significant blow to the literary scene.

Known for his steadfast commitment to national and human causes, Ibrahim’s works—marked by a blend of documentary fragments and fiction—have become landmarks of modern Arabic literature.

His novels include That Smell (1966), The Committee (1981), Zaat (1992), Warda (2000), Stealth (2007), and Ice (2011), probing themes of power, bureaucracy, and everyday life.

Born in 1937, Ibrahim was widely regarded as one of Egypt’s foremost modernist writers. In 2003, he famously rejected a prestigious state literary prize on political grounds, cementing his reputation as a principled dissident.

The minister extended condolences to the late writer’s family, friends, and admirers, as well as to Egypt’s literary and intellectual community. Ahram online