Zainab El-Mansi
Confessions of a young writer in ‘The Waiting Lounge’
Books
August 2, 2012
Confessions of a young writer in ‘The Waiting Lounge’
Much of Shorouk Ilhamy’s first story collection, “Sahat al-Entezar” (The Waiting Lounge), seems to be about despair, disappointment and injustice.…
The loss and gain of the self in Mufti’s ‘Toy of Fire’
Books
March 25, 2012
The loss and gain of the self in Mufti’s ‘Toy of Fire’
From the onset, Algerian journalist and writer Bashir Mufti entangles the readers of "Toy of Fire" ("Domiat al-Nar") between reality…
Lost in storytelling: The opposing lessons of Shafika and Metwally
Books
November 18, 2011
Lost in storytelling: The opposing lessons of Shafika and Metwally
A man sits outdoors playing the rebab, singing a tale, and people start gathering around him, amused. Such is the…
Searching for peace in ‘Ghosts With No Maps’
Books
October 20, 2011
Searching for peace in ‘Ghosts With No Maps’
The title of “Ghosts With No Maps” - Albawtaka’s second collection of translated short stories, published in 2011 - might…
An enchanting world of tales in ‘A Kingdom of Apple Juice’
Books
September 29, 2011
An enchanting world of tales in ‘A Kingdom of Apple Juice’
A few centuries back, before the spread of writing, an Egyptian narrator would gather people of all ages around him…