Naguib Mahfouz is an Egyptian novelist who published his first novel in 1944. He was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His literary works are widely regarded as classics of Arabic literature. Mahfouz's novels have been translated into more than 20 languages and have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The best known of his works include "The Cairo Trilogy" (1958), "Children of Gebelawi" (1959), and "The Harafish" (1961). Naguib Mahfouz was born on 22 March 1911 in Cairo, Egypt to a Coptic Christian father and an Egyptian mother. He began writing at the age of eight, but his family did not support his ambitions for a career as a writer. After obtaining a degree in Islamic theology from Cairo University, he worked as a schoolteacher, journalist, and newspaper editor before publishing his first novel in 1944. After the 1952 revolution, Mahfouz began writing more freely about Egyptian society and politics. His first major work was "Tahrir al-Qasrayn" (Assembling Men) which is considered by many to be his masterpiece. It is the story of the narrator's return to Cairo after years of studying abroad during which he has grown disillusioned with what he sees as the decadence of the country. It was published in 1957 to great acclaim, though it was banned at first because it harshly criticized Gamal Abdel Nasser's rule. He continued to write until shortly before his death in 2006 at the age of 93. Naguib Mahfouz died on 12 October 2006 in Cairo, aged 93