M.M. TAWFIK was born in Cairo. He earned degrees in civil engineering (Cairo University), international law (University of Paris), and international relations (International Institute of Public Administration in Paris) and has pursued careers in engineering, diplomacy, and writing. He is a member of the Egyptian Writers Union, Pen International, the Geneva Writers Group, and ACT writers of Australia. He is the author of three volumes of short stories in Arabic, from which a selection was made and published in English in Cairo in 1997 under the title The Day the Moon Fell, and three novels, including Murder in the Tower of Happiness (AUC Press, 2008).