A short story writer, literary critic, translator, and former United Nations expert. Born on May 8, 1941, in the village of Kafr Nakla—one of the smallest villages in the Al-Mahmoudiya district of Beheira Governorate, Egypt. He later moved gradually to urban centers: first to the town of Al-Mahmoudiya, where he completed his primary and secondary education at the Omar Tosson School; then to the city of Alexandria to attend the university’s Faculty of Arts. There, he studied under Dr. Nour El-Sherif, Dr. Mahmoud El-Manzalaoui, Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Badawi, and Dr. Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri, eventually graduating from the Department of English in 1963.
In 1963, he moved to Cairo and embarked on a career in media and journalism, working with organizations such as the State Information Service, *Al-Gumhuria* newspaper, and Egyptian Radio, where he specialized in translation, editing, and writing political commentary. In 1967, he served as a media expert in Sanaa, Yemen, and as an editor for the Yemeni newspaper *Al-Thawra*. In 1971, he undertook a work assignment in Tripoli, Libya. In 1974, he began an eight-year tenure in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, working as an editor, writer, and political commentator for the European Service of Riyadh Radio until 1982. From 1982 until 2002, he worked at the United Nations in New York within the Conference Services Division, specializing in translation and editing.
Dr. Fathi Abu Rafia passed away on Friday, September 17, 2026.
The late scholar was a distinguished literary figure who made significant contributions to writing, criticism, and literature. He was also a regular participant in arabworldbooks.com, where his words and writings left a positive impression and a lasting impact on readers and friends alike. He was among the writers who enriched the site with their creative thought and work, and were thus honored on our tenth anniversay on January 2009 at the Supreme Council of Culture. Dr. Fathi Abu Rafia was a close friend of the late Dr. Gaber Asfour; the two shared a deep friendship and a mutual passion for literature, culture, and intellectual pursuits.
