Books
Pope Shenouda as a writer
March 22, 2012
Pope Shenouda as a writer
Displayed on the shelves of every church bookstore in Egypt is a collection of writings by the late Pope Shenouda…
Where are the children’s books about the ‘Arab Spring’?
March 11, 2012
Where are the children’s books about the ‘Arab Spring’?
At this year’s Cairo International Book Fair, the most sought-after books were those about Arab revolutions. Titles about revolution, in…
Gambling on imagination
March 6, 2012
Gambling on imagination
“I'm a young female, gambling on [people’s] imagination.” This is how the 42-year-old novelist and associate professor of English at…
‘A Tunisian Tale’: A grim delight
March 4, 2012
‘A Tunisian Tale’: A grim delight
The spark at the center of Hassouna Mosbahi’s short novel, “A Tunisian Tale,” is a human immolation. As in the…
Traveling under ‘The Seven Skies’
February 29, 2012
Traveling under ‘The Seven Skies’
“He who passes place and time lightly, Doesn’t let place enslave him, or time waste him” (From “The Beauty of…
Soueif’s ‘Cairo: My City’ spins stories within stories to keep a revolution alive
February 26, 2012
Soueif’s ‘Cairo: My City’ spins stories within stories to keep a revolution alive
Ahdaf Soueif’s “Cairo: My City, Our Revolution” is an addition to the blossoming genre of “revolution diary” literature. It…
‘Ma’sat Madam Fahmy’ revisits a tragic affair
February 16, 2012
‘Ma’sat Madam Fahmy’ revisits a tragic affair
The tragedy of Madam Margaret Fahmy — or Mounira Fahmy as she later named herself — has been told before.…
A shy marketer with a mission
February 12, 2012
A shy marketer with a mission
A handful of minor international celebrities have risen out of the uprising that heaved through the country a year ago,…
As Cairo Book Fair closes, publishers reflect on their experience in a ‘revolutionary’ fair
February 7, 2012
As Cairo Book Fair closes, publishers reflect on their experience in a ‘revolutionary’ fair
From the outset, the 43rd Cairo International Book Fair was surrounded by controversy. The government called for postponing it due…
A walk through the Cairo Book Fair
February 5, 2012
A walk through the Cairo Book Fair
There is an ad-hoc quality to this year's Cairo International Book Fair, as if it had been thrown together…