Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Ahmed Fouad Negm

Role / Field:

Iconic Egyptian vernacular poet, celebrated for revolutionary and patriotic verse.

Born:

1929-05-22

Died:

2013-12-03

Century / Era:

1929s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Ahmad Fo'ad Negm (Arabic: أحمد فؤاد نجم, pronounced [ˈæħmæd foˈʔæːd ˈneɡm]; 22 May 1929 – 3 December 2013), popularly known as El-Fagumi الفاجومي ([elfæˈɡuːmi]), was an Egyptian vernacular poet. Negm is well known for his work with Egyptian composer Sheikh Imam, as well as his patriotic and revolutionary Egyptian Arabic poetry. Negm has been regarded as "a bit of a folk hero in Egypt." Ahmed Fouad Negm was born in a small village north of Cairo, Egypt, to a family of fellahin. His mother, Hanem Morsi Negm, was a housewife, and his father Mohammed Ezat Negm, a police officer.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Negm was one of seventeen brothers. Like many poets and writers of his generation, he received his education at the religious Kutaab schools managed by El-Azhar. He was six years old when his father died. He went to live with his uncle Hussein in Zagazig, but was placed in an orphanage in 1936 where he first met famous singer Abdel Halim Hafez. In 1945, at the age of 17, he left the orphanage and returned to his village to work as a shepherd.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Later, he moved to Cairo to live with his brother who eventually kicked him out only to return to his village again to work in one of the English camps while...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ahmed Fouad Negm