Famous Egyptian Poets

Aḥmad Shawqī was an Arabic poet laureate who worked at the court of the Khedive. He also wrote plays and prose, including five tragedies. On 17 June 1977, Aḥmad Shawqī's Giza residence was converted into a museum. His work is celebrated even today at a cultural center called the El Sawy Culture Wheel.

Callimachus was an ancient Greek scholar, poet, and librarian. He was active during the third century BC in Alexandria, where he authored more than 800 literary works covering a wide variety of genres. Callimachus' work became a prominent reference point for Roman poets of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire.

Apollonius of Rhodes was an ancient Greek writer best remembered for his epic poem, The Argonautica, which was written in the third century BC. The poem, which narrates the quest for the Golden Fleece by Jason and the Argonauts, acted as a model for the epics of Latin poets Gaius Valerius Flaccus and Publius Vergilius Maro.

Al-Busiri was a Muslim poet and pupil of Sheikh Abul Abbas al-Mursi. He is best remembered for his magnum opus, Poem of the Mantle, which is one of the most famous poems praising the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In the poem, Al-Busiri claims that the prophet cured him of paralysis.

Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad was an Egyptian poet, journalist, and literary critic. He is widely regarded as a polymath as his writings cover a wide range of subjects, such as poetry, criticism, history, philosophy, Islamology, politics, science, biography, and Arabic literature. Apart from writing over 100 books, Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad also founded a poetry school called Al-Diwan.

Doria Shafik was an Egyptian poet, editor, and feminist. One of the most important and influential leaders of the famous women's liberation movement in Egypt, Doria Shafik is best remembered for her work in the mid-1940s that led to a change in the Egyptian constitution, granting Egyptian women the right to vote.

Nonnus, also known as Nonnus of Panopolis, was a Greek epic poet considered the most important of them all from the Imperial Roman era. Nonnus is credited with composing the epic poem Dionysiaca, which is one of the longest surviving works from Greco-Roman antiquity. His works seems to have greatly influenced the poets of Late Antiquity like Musaeus and Colluthus.

Tamim al-Barghouti is a Palestinian-Egyptian columnist, poet, and political scientist. Dubbed the poet of Jerusalem, Tamim is best known for his critically acclaimed poem In Jerusalem, which he presented in a television competition show called Prince of Poets in 2007. Tamim al-Barghouti has also worked as a professor at Georgetown University and the Free University of Berlin. 

Hafez Ibrahim was an Egyptian poet whose poetry expressed concerns over social problems like women’s rights, education, and poverty. He was nicknamed the Poet of the People for his work to improve the lives of the poor. Hafez Ibrahim is often counted among the most important Egyptian poets who reinvigorated Classical Arabic poetry in the 19th century.

Ibn al-Farid was an Arab poet whose poetry is regarded as the peak of Arabic mystical verse. He is also credited with composing the longest mystical poem in Arabic. Some of Ibn al-Farid's poems are still revered by Sufis and other dutiful Muslims around the world.

Ahmed Fouad Negm was an Egyptian vernacular poet best remembered for his work with composer Sheikh Imam. He is also remembered for his revolutionary and patriotic Egyptian Arabic poetry. Ahmed Fouad Negm's life and career inspired a book titled A Homeland Called Desire by Egyptian poet Rana al-Tonsi.

Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti was an Egyptian poet and writer. He is credited with writing numerous popular Arabic books, which were usually a translation or novelization of French plays. Interestingly, Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti couldn't speak or read French and relied on his friends to translate the French plays for him.

Herodas was a Greek poet and author. He is credited with writing short humorous dramatic scenes during the third century BC in Alexandria. His work achieved popularity among commoners, for it was written in a simplistic and humorous manner.

Abdel Rahman Badawi was an Egyptian philosopher, poet, and professor of philosophy. An exponent of existentialism, Badawi has been regarded as the most important master of Arab existentialism. He wrote over 150 books, including 75 encyclopaedic works. In addition to writing in several languages, Abdel Rahman Badawi also taught at institutions like Ain Shams University and Kuwait University.