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Today’s Doodle honours Ihsan Abdel Kouddous, an Egyptian journalist and author who also wrote fiction and short stories. On 4 January 2022, the first widespread English translation for Koddous’ book, I Do Not Sleep, was released. It appealed to the masses both in Arabic and across the globe when it was written in the 1950s, however, its translation into English would not take place until much later due to the dismissal of its simplicity and directness by literary critics.
About Ihsan Abdel Kouddous
Ihsan Abdel Kouddous ((1 January 1919 – 12 January 1990) was born in Cairo, Egypt. At the age of eleven, he began writing short stories and poems as a result of his love of reading. Upon graduating from law school, he worked as an apprentice lawyer while pursuing a career in journalism at a magazine founded by his mother, Rose Al-Yousef. It was while working here that Kouddous realized he wanted to work in an industry that he was passionate about. He began writing articles and stories and became an editor for Egypt’s daily Al-Akhbar newspaper and editor-in-chief for Al-Ahram.
As a journalist, Kouddous covered a wide range of current events. He wrote about social issues in his column A Cafe on Politics Street in a conversational narrative style, similar to a conversation one might overhear in a cafe. Even though he was jailed several times for his controversial writings and political stances, he continued to share his opinions.
In addition to his journalism, Kouddous has authored over 60 fiction books and short stories. The most common themes in his books are love, politics, psychology of social behaviour, spirituality, and religion. In many of his works, there are strong female characters, with books like I Am Free advocating for the equality and independence of women.
Kouddous received several awards for his passionate writing, including first prize for My Blood, My Tears, My Smile, Best Screenplay for The Bullet is Still in my Pocket, an Order of Merit of the First Class from the president, and shortly after his passing in 1990, an Order of the Republic of the First Class.
Where the Doodle is celebrated
Each Google Doodle celebrates a personality, event, or person by changing its logo to highlight the event or individual. The purpose of this project is to raise people’s awareness and celebrate the accomplishments of a specific individual. In general, the Google Doodle is celebrated in specific countries where it has the greatest impact. Though there are a few doodles which are celebrated across the globe, the majority of them are limited to specific countries and areas. Google Doodle Celebrating Ihsan Abdel Kouddous is mostly visible in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman.
1 January 1919 – Ihsan Abdel Kouddous, Egyptian journalist and author, was born.
12 January 1990 – Ihsan Abdel Kouddous, Egyptian journalist and author, died.