The arts are as important in modern Egypt as they were in ancient times. Egypt has produced many great writers, of whom Naguib Mahfouz is one of the most famous. Mahfouz wrote some 40 novels and short story collections, as well as 30 screenplays and several plays. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988 - the first Arab writer to be so honoured. Music has a long tradition in Egypt. Popular Egyptian music includes folk music of the country, traditional Arabic music, and Western-style music. The country’s most famous singer is Omm Kulthum. Her voice has been celebrated in Egypt and other Arabic-speaking countries for over 50 years. Film making is also important in modern Egypt, dating back to the period before World War I. Today modern Egyptian films are shown all over the Arab world, which make the Egyptian dialect the most popular among the Arabic speaking countries. Check famous characters in the Egyptian culture