Egyptian Nobel literature laureate Mahfouz "on the mend"

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Cairo (dpa) - Egyptian Nobel Literature Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz, reported critically ill last week, was on his way to a recovery, a friend of the writer said in Cairo Wednesday.

According to the report, Mahfouz was breathing on his own, although still being fed artificially, and was aware of his surroundings.

The 95-year-old author was admitted to Cairo's Agouza Police Hospital in July after having fallen and suffered a head injury on July 17.

The internationally-celebrated novelist has been suffering from kidney and respiratory complications, and has been in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Mahfouz survived an attempt on his life in 1994 when he was stabbed by an unidentified assailant, believed to be a religious fundamentalist. The attack seriously hampered his ability to write.

Mahfouz, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1988, is particularly well- known for his novels, among which are his Cairo Trilogy.

Having written over 50 literary works, Mahfouz is widely celebrated across the Arab World, and his works have been translated into dozens of languages.