Cairo University.
He originally trained to be a doctor, studying at the University of Cairo. He sought to put the foundations of a modern Egyptian theatre based on popular traditions and folklore, his main success in this quest was his most famous work, a play called "First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Farafeer" depicting two main characters: the Master and the "Farfour". Foreign some time he was a regular writer in the famous daily newspaper First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Ahram.
From the English edition of The Cheapest Nights: "While a medical student his work against Farouk’s regime and the British led to his imprisonment and suspension from College.
After graduation he worked at Kasr el Eini, the largest government hospital in Egypt. He supported Nasser’s rise to power but became disillusioned in 1954 at the time when his first collection of stories The Cheapest Nights was published. Yusuf Idris’ stories are powerful and immediate reflections of the experiences of his own rebellious life.
His continuing contact with the struggling poor enables him to portray characters sensitively and imaginatively." Idris" daughter Basma Idris is also a published writer Two ملك القطن و جمهورية فرحات.