Notaila Rashed

Biography[edit]

Notaila Ibrahim Rashed, an Egyptian journalist and secretary of child culture committee in the Higher Council for Culture. She is one of the founders of Samir Magazine for children in April 1956 and worked as its editor-in-chief from 1966 and until 2002. Prior to that, Notaila Rashed also worked as the editor-in-chief of Hilal children books. She is considered one of the most important writers who wrote children books and dedicated their lives to children. [5] [4]

Personal information[edit]

Name: Notaila Ibrahim Rached

Date of birth: 19 September 1934, [1] [2] Cairo [3]

Date of death: 26 May 2012 (at the age of 77), Cairo

Nationality: Egyptian

Status: Married to Abdultawwab Yousef

Career[edit]

Education: University of Cairo

Profession: writer

Language: Arabic

Reason of fame: Mama Lubna, founder of Samir Magazine.

Her life[edit]

Notaila Rashed was born in the mid-thirties of the 20^th century from a middleclass family. She developed an interest in the Leftist socialist politics. Mrs. Rashed believed in the ideology of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser which was based on his inspiring experience that led to national independence, awakening, and justice for the poor. She witnessed tumultuous political changes and moments of defeat and victory. She loves life, though it is sometimes wrought with pain, but she always recovers from it. [6]

Origin of her first name[edit]

Notaila was originally from the Arabian Peninsula. It was also the name of one of the Prophet Mohammed’s aunts.

Her works[edit]

She had a weekly column called “My Children Dearest to My Heart”. She was known as Mama Lubna who cared for children, their development, and constant communication. That is why she created a column called the Young Journalist, Samir Magazine correspondent. The main aim was to care for generations of children and to teach them journalism and its rules. Most of the readers of the Young Journalist used to have their views, debates, and photos published, even though they were of a tender age, under fourteen years old. [7]

There was no one in her stories who called for equality. However, equality is the essence of these stories as there is no one to advocate the good, but evil is constantly defeated. Nobody is perfect/ideal, but there is always someone who endeavors to become better, kinder and more capable of adapting to life. Life as depicted by Mama Lubna in her stories, is not that rosy. In fact, she was writing about a whole life experience with many challenges. Some of them can be overcome, others cannot without losing the desire to move forward.

Some of Mama Lubna's works were translated into English. She even found herself translating into Arabic some works from English which were published by Dar Al Hilal, and Mama Lubna’s name was synonymous with that publishing house for many years. Some of these stories were children books and she was a leading member of a team in Dar Al Hilal. Her efforts were noticed and she won the State Prize in Children Literature and the First Class Science and Arts Medal.

Her marriage[edit]

In 1956, Notaila Rashed married Abdultawwab Yousef and had three children. Their first child, Lubna, born in 1957, is a professor at the English Department at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, and the College Vice-Dean for Postgraduate Studies. Their second child, Hashim, born in 1959, is a diplomat. Before that, he was a spokesperson and head of the office of the Secretary General of the Arab League. Their third child, Essam, born in 1965, was an executive director of the Egyptian International Company for Environmental Protection. Essam currently works as a general manager of Montana Studios for Film Production. He is the author of two novels: Quarter of a Gram (2008), and

Two Officers (2014). [8]

Her award[edit]

In 1978, Notaila Rashed won State Prize in Children Literature and the First Class Sciences and Arts Medal. [9]

References[edit]

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