01
The origins
The first encounter with words
From childhood, he showed a deep inclination toward theatre and the written word. At the age of seven, encouraged by his elder brother Ibrahim, he joined the El Menoufia Permanent Theatre Company, beginning an artistic journey that would unfold through literature, theatre and dialogue between cultures.
His theatrical debut came with
“Il ritorno of Omar”, a historical reinterpretation that won first prize in an intercity competition.
During his teenage years, he became an editor of the school newspaper “Culture”, while continuing his studies and nurturing his passion for theatre and writing.
02
From the Nile to the World
Cultural education
After earning his diploma in agricultural studies, Ghonim Mohamed deepened his knowledge of world literature by reading the great authors of both Western and Eastern traditions.
Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Francesco Petrarch became essential reference points in shaping his artistic sensibility and a literary vision capable of bringing different cultures together.
In 1990, he obtained Italian citizenship, fully entering the cultural life of the country that would become his second artistic and human homeland.
03
Words as a home
The birth of the writer
In 1994, he made his Italian debut with the novel
Il segreto di Barhume, published by Les Cultures, a multiethnic association of which he is an honorary member.
The work received significant acclaim and was later revised and reissued nationally by the Rimini publishing house Fara.
In 1995, he published Quando cade la maschera, a work comprising two stories and once again published by Les Cultures.
These early works marked the beginning of a narrative journey in which memory, identity and the search for humanity became central themes.
04
Writing to build bridges
Poetry as dialogue
In 1997, during the year proclaimed by the European Parliament against racism and xenophobia, Les Cultures entrusted Ghonim Mohamed with commemorating this important occasion through the poetry collection
Il canto dell'amore.
The collection includes the poem
The Dark Night, which became one of the most representative works of his artistic journey.
That same year, the story Tramontana received a commendation at the third literary competition for immigrants and was included in the anthology Memories in a Suitcase, a project devoted to memory, roots and journeys.
Through his writing, Ghonim Mohamed portrays encounters between peoples and cultures, transforming his personal experience of immigration into a universal reflection on identity and coexistence.
05
Portraying humanity through stories
Fiction, fairy tales and short stories
In 1998, Fara published
La foglia di fico e altri racconti, a collection of six works exploring freedom, justice, love and human dignity.
In 1999, Periplo published L'Aquila magica, a collection of fairy tales especially popular in schools, which purchased hundreds of copies.
During the same period, he also published
One Hundred Memories for the Future Millennium, a work gathering one hundred meaningful testimonies, including a poem by Ghonim displayed in an exhibition devoted to social and humanitarian projects.
06
Poetry, memory and recognition
A recognized journey
In 2003, he published the poetry collection
Colombe Raggomitolate. The poem
My Silence was included in the anthology of the 10th Poseidonia–Paestum International Poetry Prize, recognizing the value of his poetic exploration.
In 2006, Fara published the novel Il ritorno, further testimony to his narrative journey and ongoing reflection on memory, travel and identity.
07
A voice between cultures
Literature, memory and dialogue between peoples
Alongside his literary work, Ghonim Mohamed served as general director of the newspaper
Newsofworld.info and was reviewed by the Pisa Journal of Italian Literature in 2013.
Today, his work continues to serve as a bridge between East and West through writing grounded in memory, identity and dialogue between peoples.
Ghonim Mohamed’s journey continues in the belief that literature is not only artistic expression, but also a means of bringing people, cultures and generations closer together.
