Early Life and Education
Ibrahim El-Bagalati was born in the city of Mansoura in 1961. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and later earned a master’s degree in urological surgery from the Mansoura urology and nephrology center. His father was a government employee, and he was the fifth of seven children.
From an early age, El-Baghlaty developed a love for reading; during summer vacations, he often visited public libraries. The first book he ever bought for himself was Kalila wa Dimna. He was later drawn to the poetry of Ali Mahmoud Taha and Salah Abdel Sabour, which inspired his passion for poetry. He began writing romantic poems while still in high school.
He then immersed himself in his medical studies and later in the operating room after specializing as a urological surgeon. Throughout his career, he worked in Egypt, France, and Kuwait. During his time in Kuwait, he translated the book History of Medicine from French into Arabic, published in 2002 as part of the World of Knowledge series issued by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters in Kuwait.
Upon returning to Egypt, he published his first poetry collection in 2003, titled Training on the Landscape (Tadreeb ‘Ala Al-Manzar Al-Tabee‘i), issued by Merit Publishing House in Cairo.
Career and Literary Works
Afterward, El-Baghlaty moved to Saudi Arabia, where he began writing novels. His first novel, Syndrome, was published in 2009 by Al-Dar Publishing House in Cairo. He later wrote his second novel, The Laboratory Dog (Kalb Al-Ma‘mal). Just as he completed it, the January 25 Revolution broke out in Egypt. He returned home and spent ten days among the protesters in Tahrir Square, staying until the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
Works
Ibrahim El-Baghlaty has authored numerous works spanning poetry collections and novels, in addition to translating several books into Arabic.
Below are some of his authored and translated works:
Publications
- Training on the Landscape (Poetry): Published in 2003 by Merit Publishing House, Cairo.
- The Little Sea (Poetry): Published in 2004 by Isis Publishing House, Cairo.
- Syndrome (Novel): Published in 2009 by Al-Dar Publishing & Distribution, Cairo.
- I in His Solitude (Poetry): Published in 2014 by Badayel Publishing, Cairo.
- A Long Tale About a Sleeping Crocodile (Poetry): Published in 2017 by Merit Publishing House, Cairo.
- What Else Could the Romantics Do? (Poetry): Published in 2018 by the Egyptian General Book Organization, Cairo.
- Tea, Oranges, and Green masks (Poetry): Published in 2020.
Translations
- History of Medicine: From the Art of Healing to the Science of Diagnosis — by Charles Sournia, translated from French into Arabic by Ibrahim El-Baghlaty. Published in 2002 by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters in Kuwait, as part of the World of Knowledge series.
Awards
Poet and novelist Ibrahim El-Baghlaty has been honored by numerous cultural institutions and received several literary awards, including:
- “Post-Corona Festival Award” (2020) from the Arab Atelier for Culture and Arts (Dhi) for his poetry collection Tea, Oranges, and Green Wings.