The Taha Hussein museum will host an array of artistic and cultural events between 26 and 28 October to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of writer and novelist, Taha Hussein, who died on 28 October 1973. The event is organised by Egypt's Fine Arts Sector, headed by Khaled Srour. The museum's director, Mohamed Abd El-Ghany, stated that the celebration “is an annual event in which the museum attempts to shed light on some aspects of Taha Hussein's iconic personality.” It aims to “emphasise the significance of the late ‘dean of Arabic literature,' especially to the younger generation, and reveal his multiple contributions to cultural, literary and educational movements in Egypt and the Arab world.” The events include a children's tour of the museum; a screening of a documentary on the iconic writer, produced by the National Council for Children's Culture; a story telling workshop, and a number of lectures. Hussein (1889 –1973) was a pioneer of modern Arabic literature. He authored dozens of works – criticism, literature and translation – the most controversial of which were On Pre-Islamic Poetry and Al-Ayyam (“The Days”). Despite having lost his eyesight at the age of three due to poor medical treatment, Hussein obtained his PhD in 1914 on the poetry of Abu-Alaa Al-Maari, becoming a professor of Arabic Literature and later minister of education. Located in Giza governorate, The Taha Hussein museum opened to the public in the early 1990s. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
