Bahaa Taher was an Egyptian novelist and short story writer, renowned for his works in Arabic. He was born on January 13, 1935 and passed away on October 27, 2022. Taher was awarded the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008, marking a significant milestone in his literary career.

After graduating from the University of Cairo, he began his career at Radio 2, the culture channel of the Egyptian Radio. In 1964, Taher published his first short story, signaling the start of his journey into the world of literature. He was actively involved in the left-wing and avant-garde literary circles of the 1960s and became a prominent figure in the Gallery 68 movement.

As a storyteller and social commentator, Taher faced professional setbacks during Sadat's regime in Egypt, where he lost his broadcasting job and was barred from publishing in the mid-1970s. In 1981, he moved to Geneva to work as a translator for the United Nations, spending many years in Switzerland before eventually returning to Egypt. Upon his return, he engaged actively in the cultural circles and gained significant recognition in his later years.