Egyptian literature
All topics-
Religion and freedom of expression
The birth of a new theocracy?
Following the Arabellion, controversial pluralistic debates on questions of morality or religion were no longer taboo in Egypt. But such discursive freedom has proved short-lived; the tide has turned. These days, the tone adopted by Egypt's regime is more highly charged with religious rhetoric than ever and the goal is clear: to wrest back control of social discourse. Meanwhile Egypt's justice system is playing along and restricting freedom of expression. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Cairo
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The Egyptian Revolution five years on
Ghosts of the uprising
25 January 2011 saw the start of the revolution in Egypt that led to the collapse of the Mubarak dictatorship. Today, the Egyptian writer Mansoura Ez-Eldin sees another regime in power staging an absurd drama of fear and oppression
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The Arab world
(Not) an unlimited book market?
With the increasing efforts to revive the book market in the Arab world by publishers and cultural institutions, intermittently hindered by economic, political and social factors, the limitations of this market are yet to be explored and redefined. By Amira Elmasry
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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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Taha Hussein and the democratisation of education in Egypt
The sea of knowledge
The Egyptian author Taha Hussein warned as long ago as the 1930s that the future of Egypt depended on reforming its education system. His book "The Future of Culture in Egypt" is a plea for an enlightened, democratic and Mediterranean Egypt. By Andreas Pflitsch
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Book review: Tawfiq al-Hakim's "The Revolt of the Young"
A revolutionary manual for older generations
Tawfiq al-Hakim's "The Revolt of the Young" was originally published in 1984. Published in English translation in 2014, this 30-year-old collection of essays seems as relevant to the problems facing Egypt's youth today as it did when it was first published. According to Marcia Lynx Qualey, however, the book is even more relevant to older generations as it encourages them to try and understand and sympathise with the aims of their children
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Book review: "Diamond Dust" by Ahmed Mourad
A dark political crime novel from Egypt
Ahmed Mourad's new novel asks whether evil is an unavoidable route to good, and how much violence is necessary in the fight against the corrupt and the unscrupulous. Sonja Hegasy on a literary slice of Egyptian life before the revolution
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Women and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction
How many women does it take to win the IPAF?
The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) was launched in 2007. Since then, only one woman has won the prize. Over the course of the past eight years, there has been much debate about the appearance (or not) of women on the long- and shortlists for the prize. Marcia Lynx Qualey looks back on the history of women and the IPAF
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Cairo International Book Fair 2015
Navigating the jungle
70 million books, 47 participating countries, 850 publishers ... and all for an admission price of just under ten cents. After 46 years, the Cairo International Book Fair is not only the oldest in the Arab world; with one million visitors, it is also the second largest book fair on the planet. By Amira El Ahl in Cairo
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Egypt's literati
Shifting 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 the Egyptian author Mansoura Ez-Eldin
"The current situation is untenable"
For the renowned Egyptian journalist and writer Mansoura Ez-Eldin, the revolution of 2011 provided literary fodder for essays, short stories and now a new novel. Arian Fariborz spoke with her in Cairo
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Cairo International Book Fair 2014
Reader, where art thou?
Many Egyptians are avoiding this year's Cairo International Book Fair for fear of new outbreaks of violence or terrorist attacks. Publishers are complaining about intolerable conditions and a lack of planning. By Amira El Ahl in Cairo