13 Facts About Suhayr al-Qalamawi

Sahier al-Qalamawi was a significant literary figure and politician from Egypt who shaped Arabic writing and culture through her writing, feminist activism, and advocacy.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi was one of the first women to attend Cairo University and in 1941 became the first Egyptian woman to earn her Master of Arts Degree and PhD for her work in Arabic literature.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi's writings include two volumes of short stories, ten critical studies, and many translations from world literature.

Sahier Suhayr al-Qalamawi was born on July 20,1911, in Cairo, Egypt and lived there throughout her life.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi was born to a family that took pride in educating its female members and therefore she was able to take advantage of her father's extensive library of works at an early age.

In 1928, Suhayr al-Qalamawi graduated the American College for girls and intended to study medicine like her father at Cairo University.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi became the first young girl to attend Cairo University and the only female among fourteen males to study Arabic Literature.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi made al-Qalamawi the assistant editor of the Cairo University Magazine in 1932 and thus al-Qalamawi became the first woman with a license in journalism in Egypt.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi served as the president of the Egyptian Feminist Union and in 1959, she became the head of the League of Arab Women University Graduates where she set the basis of cooperation between the Egyptian Union and the World Union of Universities.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi established a committee to superintend the university Palestinian girls to address her concern of the Palestinian issue in 1962.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi was the director of the government affiliated Egyptian Organization for Publishing and Distributing where she worked to broaden the audience of readers, encourage young writers, and promote the book industry.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi develops this story line into a social criticism and vision of wartime form the perspective of the civilians who stayed home.

Suhayr al-Qalamawi aims to create the new woman: an intelligent, cultured, and wise woman who is fully in charge of her life and family.