Hamdy Abo Golayyel, also written Hamdi Abu Golayyel was born in Fayoum, Egypt, in 1967, is a writer and a journalist. His ancestors arrived from Libya in the early 19th century to settle in Fayoum. Abu Golayyel migrated to Cairo in the early 1980s, and worked as a construction labourer on building sites. These experiences later provided material for his literary endeavours. He is the author of numerous short story collections and novels, including Thieves in Retirement and A Dog with No Tail, which was awarded the 2008 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.
His latest novel the Men who swallowed the son published by Hoopoe was the last work by the late Humphrey Davies.
He is editor-in-chief of the Popular Studies series, which specializes in folklore research, and writes for Arabic news outlets, such as al-Ittihad and al-Safir.
