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Condolences: Dr. Hamdi El-Sakkout

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October 9, 2025

Dear AUC Community,

With sadness I share the news of the passing of Dr. Hamdi El-Sakkout, professor emeritus in the Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC).

El-Sakkout studied Arabic literature at Dar al-‘Ulum and earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1965. He joined AUC that same year as an assistant professor, earning tenure in 1970. El-Sakkout continued teaching at AUC until his retirement in 2003. During his tenure, he held several leadership positions, including director of the Center of Arabic Studies and later chair when it became the Department of Arabic Studies—ARIC’s predecessor.

El-Sakkout’s scholarly contributions are numerous, with a particular focus on the critical analysis of modern and contemporary Arabic novels. Among his major works is the monograph The Egyptian Novel and Its Main Trends from 1913 to 1952 (1971).

He also dedicated significant attention to bibliographic and bio-bibliographic studies of modern Arabic literature. El-Sakkout was highly regarded among scholars of Arabic literature worldwide. At AUC, he played pivotal roles in developing the Arabic literature curriculum, leading various units and initiating and supervising the Arabic Cultural Program. Through this program and his efforts, AUC welcomed leading Arab intellectuals of the day, including Adonis, Mahmoud Darwish, Mustafa Badawi and Wadad al-Qadi, to name but a few. His research on the bibliographic history of the Arabic novel remains foundational, having shaped the field and trained generations of scholars.

El-Sakkout’s outstanding research contributions were recognized by numerous awards, including the King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Literature (1995) and the Modern Language Association of America Prize for a Distinguished Bibliography (2002).

Hamdi El-Sakkout passed away earlier this week. His wife, Elizabeth Sartain, associate professor emerita of Middle East History at ARIC, passed away earlier this year. He is survived by their two sons, Hani El-Sakkout and Ihab El-Sakkout ’92 and six grandchildren. In accordance with his wishes, no reception for condolences was held.

Condolences may be extended via email to Ihab El-Sakkout at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Ehab Abdel-Rahman
Provost