Most recent articles by Sherif Abdel Samad
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The 20th anniversary of Latifa al-Zayyat′s deathDauntless to the end
Her book "Al-Bab al-Maftooh" (The Open Door), published in 1960, made Latifa al-Zayyat famous overnight. Her reputation as a feminist writer was sealed by the film version of the novel, starring the legendary actress Faten Hamama (at the time, the wife of Omar Sharif). By Sherif Abdel Samad
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Book review: Eka Kurniawan′s ″Beauty is a wound″A hidden literary gem
Indonesia′s literary shooting star, Eka Kurniawan, recently longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, is already being hailed as Pramoedya Ananta Toer′s successor. Although ″Beauty is a wound″ was published in 2002, Kurniawan has only recently gained international recognition with its English translation. Sherif Abdel Samad read the book
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Dina Hamza′s documentary film "Gaye El Zaman"A daughter's tribute
Egyptian director Dina Hamza's latest documentary film "Gaye El Zaman" (The Past Will Return) is a project very close to her heart. Her late father, who died in 2010, was a prolific songwriter for over four generations, with many of his compositions remaining popular to this day – including 37 songs he wrote in memory of music legend Abdel Halim Hafez. By Sherif Abdel Samad
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Evelyn Waugh′s ″Labels: A Mediterranean Journal″Egypt revisited
Evelyn Waugh, the English writer most would associate with his best-selling novel ″Brideshead Revisited″, died fifty years ago this month. Yet Waugh was also a passionate traveller and observer of foreign cultures. In this early work, he transports the reader back to early twentieth century Egypt. Sherif Abdel Samad read the book
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Power struggle in YemenAn unstable situation turns critical
The political crisis in Yemen came to a head when Shia Houthi rebels stormed the presidential palace and surrounded the home of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi on 20 January. Two days later, the president resigned. Sherif Abdel Samad has been assessing the situation in Sanaa and Saada, where he spoke with representatives of the Houthi rebels