Egyptian writer and critic Louis Greiss passed away on Sunday at the age of 90 after a long battle with illness, according to state-run media outlet EgyNews.
Greiss was born in 1928 in Assiut, Upper Egypt. He graduated from the American University in Cairo, where he studied journalism and literature.
He wrote several short stories that were a huge success in the world of literature, including “Hob w Remal” (Love and Sands) and “Haza Ma Yahdoth Lel Nas” (This is What Happens to People).
He was the first and only Egyptian author to interview the Argentinian Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara; Makarios III, the first president of Cyprus; and Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary politician who led the country for over three decades.
Greiss held several critical positions as a journalist; he was a member of the Supreme Council of Journalism, and a member of the Censorship on Artistic Works.
He was the husband of the late Egyptian artist Sanaa Gamil. They were well known for the passionate love story they shared for years. After Gamil died in 2005, Greiss would regularly commemorate her birthday through screened documentaries that featured different parts of her life and long career.
