Ahmad Mahfuz Umar

{{short description|Yemeni writer (1936–2024)}}

Ahmad Mahfuz Umar ({{langx|ar|أحمد محفوظ عمر|Aḥmad Maḥfūẓ ʻUmar}}; 1936 – 27 January 2024){{Cite news |last=الزيدي |first=صدام |title=رحيل أحمد محفوظ عمر: في واقعية القصة اليمنيّة القصيرة |url=https://diffah.alaraby.co.uk/diffah/agenda/2024/2/6/%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B8-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241213185829/https://diffah.alaraby.co.uk/diffah/agenda/2024/2/6/%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B8-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9 |archive-date=2024-12-13 |access-date=2024-12-14 |work=ضفة ثالثة |language=ar}} was a Yemeni writer.{{cite news |last1=Al-Zaidi |first1=Saddam |title=رحيل أحمد محفوظ عمر: في واقعية القصة اليمنيّة القصيرة |url=https://diffah.alaraby.co.uk/diffah/agenda/2024/2/6/%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B8-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9 |access-date=7 May 2024 |work=Al Araby |date=6 February 2024}} Born in Aden, he was considered to be one of the pioneering figures of modern Yemeni literature and was a co-founder of the Yemeni Writers' Union.[http://www.arablit.it/yemen_autori/mahfuz_umar.html Profile in Arablit website (translated from Italian)] At an early age, he won a short story competition organised by the journal Al-Nahdah with his story Murdi'at al-atfal (1956). His stories often deal with life in the big city and similar gritty themes. He published several collections of short fiction, including Al-indhar al-mumazzaq (1960), Al-agras al-samita (1974), Ya ahl hadha al-jabal (1978) and Al-nab al-azraq (1980).

Umar's work has been translated into Italian and was included in a 2009 anthology of Yemeni literature called Perle dello Yemen.