Egyptian novelist Khairy Shalaby passed away dawn today at the age of 73.

Shalaby will be laid to rest in his hometown of Shabas Ameer in the governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh this afternoon.

Shalaby’s grandson Mohamed El-Sanhoury told Ahram Online that the novelist was not suffering from any illness and died suddenly today as he began to write his daily article.

Shalaby is one of the most renowned Egyptian writers, penning 70 novels, essays, plays and biographies during his career. Many of his stories were turned into movies. He earned many awards including Best Arab Novelist in 2003.