Jan 09, 2018
Farouk Shousha’s 82nd Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
"لغتنا الجميلة” (translated as “Lughatuna Al-Jamila” or “Our Beautiful Language”) was among the longest running and most popular programs on Egyptian State Radio, hosted in the smooth voice of Arabic poet and radio host, Farouk Shousha.
Born in the port city of Damietta, Shousha received his early education at a traditional kuttab elementary school. He credited this classical style of schooling for his strong foundation in Arabic, which in turn inspired his lifelong passion for safekeeping the quality and purity of the language.
On his show, Our Beautiful Language, he would recite and dissect Arabic poetry, popularizing it among the masses. Considered a “Guardian of Arabic,” Shousha was appointed Secretary General of the Academy of the Arabic Language. He authored 13 poetic anthologies and won the Nile Prize for Literature in 2016.
Today’s Doodle celebrates Shousha’s 82nd birthday and depicts him as he might have looked on set: distinguished with salt and pepper hair, joyously opening up a world of poetry and culture to listeners tuning in from Egypt and beyond.
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