Tawfiq al-Hakim is recognized as the undisputed creator of a literature of the theater. In this volume, Tawfiq al-Hakim's fame as a playwright is given prominence. Among his best-known plays are "The Sultan's Dilemma" and "The Tree Climber". Tawfiq al-Hakim produced several of the earliest examples of Arabic novels, including the delightful "Diary of a Country Prosecutor", and many short stories. In an extract from "The Prison of Life", an autobiography, Tawfiq al-Hakim writes with commendable frankness about himself.