SOURCE: Allen, Roger. Introduction to In the Eye of the Beholder: Tales of Egyptian Life from the Writings of Yusuf Idris, edited by Roger Allen, pp. vii-xxxix. Minneapolis: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1978.

In the following essay, Allen traces Idris's development as a short fiction writer and assesses his contribution to modern Arabic fiction.

Yūsuf Idrīs is one of the most famous Egyptian writers of the latter half of this century, and his fame transcends national boundaries within the Arab world itself. He has written short stories, novels and novellas, and plays; to each of these genres he has made important contributions. Through his writings he has urged fellow authors to experiment with both form and content, and he has produced innovative works of his own. On the political and cultural planes, he has been in a real sense a member of the avant-garde and on several occasions this...