Renowned Egyptian novelist and critic, Edwar El Kharrat, died in a Cairo hospital today, 1 Dec, 2015, after slipping into a coma yesterday. He was 89 years old. The funeral will be held at El-Dobara Church in Tahrir tomorrow morning and he will be buried in Alexandria, his birthplace. El-Kharrat is considered one of the founders of the modern Arabic novel and short story as well as a pioneer of Arabic literature. He was also a prominent critic and translator. He published over 50 books including novels and poetry, and is best known for his novel Rama wal Tinin (Rama and the Dragon) and his short story collection Hitan Aliya (High Walls). http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/172272.aspx