'Thirty years of presence': Remembering Amal Donqol

The renowned Egyptian poet Amal Donqol was honoured Friday among friends, readers and by his wife, some 30 years after he died

The legacy of the Egyptian rebellious poet Amal Donqol continues to shine on 30 years after he died in 1983. "Thirty years of presence" is how Abla El-Roweini, widow of the late poet, described it in her words to the audience of the Culture Salon at the Leadership and Management Development Centre on Friday, 24 May.
Donqol, who was born in Qena in 1940, is best known for his poem Al-Ka'ka Al-Hagarya (The Cake of Rock), which he wrote in praise of the 1977 uprising in Egypt against former President Anwar El-Sadat. Six poetry collections were published in his name, including Crying Between a Bird's Hands, The Coming Era and Papers of Room No 8.Donqol is still known as the “Prince of Refusers” for his famous poem, “Do Not Reconcile,” written in December of 1976, which expressed his opposition to peace with Israel.
The event opening at the Culture Salon on 24 May featured the short movie by director Ateyat El-Abnoudy, "Memories of Room 8" — the only documentary about the renowned poet. The touching movie featured Donqol's mother recalling stories about his childhood and his promise to her that he would complete his college education, only to end up dropping out but staying in Cairo.
The movie also included interviews with Donqol himself, where he described his childhood in the small village some 600 kilometres south of Cairo. His father was a scholar at Al-Azhar and because of his position in society refused to allow Donqol to play in the streets. This forced him indoors and among books.
When his father passed away when Donqol was just 10, he ventured further into reading. He spent years memorising poetry by great poets of the old days, and started writing poetry himself. His first poem was about Palestine, refusing to write about love when the stories of people dying for Palestine were filling the news.
Abla El-Roweini, loving wife, journalist and author of the biography of Amal Donqol, Al-Janubi(The Southerner), shared how he became a legend.
"Amal Donqol was present only a few days ago in a poetry reading in Talaat Harb Square (in Downtown Cairo) during a celebration of his life in the Tagammu Party. Also in Suez, in Quena and in Menia. During the January 25 Revolution, his poems were being read, and of course his famous poem 'Do Not Reconcile' was drawn in graffiti on the walls," El-Roweini said.
"He's a story that is difficult for death." The key to Amal's life was freedom: "He lived by what he believed and so never suffered the duality of living life as a poet or as a human being."
Poet Shaaban Youssef also participated in the event, underlining that Donqol's presence after death was stronger than in life, similar to another great poet who also died young, Naguib Sorour.
The event continued with readings from Amal Donqol's poetry by poet Abdel-Rahman Youssef.
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