Fātimah (Rūz) al-Yūsuf Biography
Born in Tripoli and raised in Alexandria, Fātimah al-Yūsuf (Arabic: فاطمة اليوسف, 1898-1957); known as Rose al-Yusuf, became one of the most distinguished women in Egypt for her role in establishing the magazine Rose al-Yūsuf, a mainstay for political resistance against the British colonization of Egypt at the time. As a child, Fatimah received her primary education in Tripoli before moving to Alexandria with her family in 1908. She lived there under the care of stage actor Iskandar Farah (اسكندر فرح) and worked with various theater houses like the troupe of George Abyad (جورج أبيض) and later with the Ramsis troupe, founded by Yussef Wahby (يوسف وهبي). She retired from the stage in 1925 to dedicate herself to journalism, writing bold articles about women concerns. In the same year, she launched the publishing company Rose al-Yusuf, before starting two magazines in Cairo: Rose al-Yūsuf (Arabic: روز اليوسف) in 1925and Ṣabāḥ al-khayr (Arabic: صباح الخير) in 1956. Fatima was the first women to operate a publishing house in the Arab world. She also contributed to the literary and cultural movement by publishing a series of intellectual and political books, including her memoirs. Rose got married three times; she is the mother of Ihsan Abdel Quddous (Arabic: إحسان عبد القدوس) the renowned Egyptian writer, novelist, and journalist. Rose was one of few women, who knew how to combine art, politics and culture in one melting pot.
Sources
- Ashour, Radwa, Ferial J. Ghazoul, & Hasna Reda-Mekdashi (eds.). Arab women writers: a critical reference guide, 1873-1999. Cairo, Egypt: American University in Cairo Press, c2008.
- البعيني، نجيب. صحافيات لبنانيات رائدات وأديبات مبدعات. بيروت : نوفل، 2007.
- عبده، ابراهيم. روز اليوسف: سيرة وصحيفة. القاهرة : مؤسسة سجل العرب، 1961.
- نويهض. ناديا الجردي. نساء من بلادي. بيروت : المؤسسة العربية للدراسات والنشر، 1986.
- اليوسف، فاطمة. ذكريات. [القاهرة] : دار روز اليوسف، 1935.