Osama Anwar Okasha was one of the most outstanding scenarists and dramatists in Egyptian and Arab history, whose TV drama series enjoyed the highest viewership in the country and in the region.
Okasha was born on 27 July 1941. He obtained a bachelor of arts from Ain Shams University in 1962, and worked in several government jobs before quitting in 1982 to devote his time to a writing career.
Okasha was known for having written the screenplays of some of the Arab world’s most popular TV series such as “Layali al-Helmiya” (Helmiya Nights) and “al-Shahd wal Domoa” (Honey and Tears).
“Al-Masrawiya” (Egyptians), Okasha’s last TV series, screened in September 2007, was named the best TV series of that year. It presented an account of Egyptian history since 1914.
Okasha had adopted the ideology of former president Gamal Abdel Nasser, although he later abandoned it. He was a proponent of dissolving the Arab League and he supported the establishment of an Arab economic “Commonwealth.” He was also highly critical of religious extremism.
Though he did not come from Alexandria, Okasha was deeply fond of the coastal city, spending most of his time and writing many of his screenplays there.
