Shukri Mabkhout is a Tunisian writer and professor of Arabic literature. He is a renowned scholar of Arabic literature and has published numerous books and articles on the subject. He is the author of the critically acclaimed novel, The Italian, which won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014. He has also written several other novels, including The Last of the Storytellers and The Book of the Sultan's Seal. Mabkhout is a professor at the University of Tunis and has taught at universities in France, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. He is a member of the Tunisian Writers' Union and the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts. He is a passionate advocate for the preservation of Arabic culture and literature.