Alaa Al-Aswany
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10 years of revolutionAlaa Al Aswany on Egypt – "The Republic of False Truths"
Ten years ago, Egyptians dreamt of change, they took to the streets against President Mubarak. But their hopes were dashed. A look back and forward with writer Alaa Al Aswany
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Alaa Al Aswanyʹs novel "The Republic of False Truths"Elias Khoury salutes Al Aswanyʹs courage
Lebanese novelist and critic Elias Khoury pays tribute to Alaa Al Aswanyʹs new novel as the only comprehensive literary chronicle of the January 2011 Egyptian revolution, charting the tragic fate of those who were killed, imprisoned and tortured against a background of the diabolical alliance between the Egyptian army and the Muslim Brotherhood
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Interview with the Egyptian author Youssef Rakha"Taken together, these things would make up home..."
The Egyptian poet, essayist, novelist and journalist Youssef Rakha moves between two worlds. He aims to show his Western readers an eclectic Cairo beyond common cliches. Interview by Susanne Schanda
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Interview with the Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany″I write to defend democracy″
Best-selling novelist Alaa Al Aswany was one of the main protagonists in the 2011 Egyptian uprising and remains a high-profile government critic. Interview by Sabine Peschel
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Repression and legitimation in EgyptThe world as Sisi sees it
A policy formula that only recognises two distinctions – those who are "for the regime" and those who are "against the regime", with the latter arguably grouped under the heading "potential terrorists" – is leading to widespread human rights violations and the persecution of those who hold different political views. A commentary by Thomas Demmelhuber
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Alaa Al Aswany′s novel ″The Automobile Club of Egypt″Microcosm of tyranny
In his new novel "The Automobile Club of Egypt", the best-selling Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany paints a picture of a deeply divided, bigoted society and recalls the oriental despotism of the 1940s under King Farouk. A review by Arian Fariborz
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Egypt's literatiShifting sands, choosing sides
In the West, where Egyptian authors have long been seen as forces for good, the reaction to the fact that some of the country's most renowned writers seem to have abandoned the struggle for immediate democracy and the rule of law in favour of supporting military rule has been greeted with shock and dismay. Marcia Lynx Qualey explores the possible reasons for this development
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Interview with Egyptian Novelist Alaa al-Aswany''Mubarak's Regime Remains Intact''
According to Egypt's renowned novelist Alaa al-Aswany, the Muslim Brothers' rule was a lesson for the country. "The idea of political Islam is now falling apart," al-Aswany asserts in this interview with Jannis Hagmann. But now, he warns, Mubarak's regime may try to take power again
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Egyptian LiteratureNew Departures, New Visions
Current novels from Egypt tell about people's daily struggle for survival, about their suffering in the face of state violence and corruption, and about managing to get by with the help of tricks and humour. Egyptian literature is available in translation in various forms – from the spontaneous blog to the social novel. By Susanna Schanda
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The Writer Alaa al-AswaniA Desperate Citizen of Egypt
"We will topple Mursi, just as we toppled Mubarak": A few years ago Alaa al-Aswani wrote what is arguably the most successful novel ever to be written in Arabic, now he is fighting for democracy in his homeland. By Tim Neshitov
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Alaa al-Aswani's "On the State of Egypt"''Democracy Is the Solution''
A selection of columns published before the revolution by celebrated Egyptian writer Alaa al-Aswani show that even if the West was turning a blind eye to imminent political change in Egypt, many writers and intellectuals were making clear predictions of the seismic eruptions to come. By Andreas Pflitsch
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Literature and the Arab SpringAn Uprising of Words
What subversive role did literature play in the run-up to the uprisings in the Arab world? And should prose, poetry and other literary genres devote themselves entirely to the "revolution" or maintain a critical distance? Answers from Stephan Milich