10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

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10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by HEPZIBAH »

I just spotted this article which I thought worth sharing. There are certainly a few titles there that I'd like to add to my 'Must Read' list.


10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers By Nouran Allam

We often forget how talented Egyptian novelists are and can be. The list of books below contains books that were shortlisted for prizes, made into a series and even got translated into different languages. These books were successful because they took a different approach to existing themes and shed a unique light on themes and issues that are happening in Egypt.

While there are other great Egyptian novelists and writers, this is only a sample and my personal top 10 books for all those looking for something new to read.

VERTIGO BY AHMED MOURAD

The novel starts off by a photographer witnessing one of his friends getting killed in a fight between young business men. The photographer then has to confront pitiless players. A political crime thriller that takes place in Cairo and portrays contemporary Egypt and its nightlife.

WOMAN AT POINT ZERO BY NAWAL EL SAADAWI

A novel based on the author’s encounter with a female prisoner who was a murderer. The book is from the prisoner’s voice and point of view. She told the author her life story before she got executed.

MARYAM’S MAZE BY MANSOURA EZ-ELDIN

A story about Maryam, a girl who is trying to find her place in this confusing world. Through Maryam and her maze that consists of dreams and memories, the author relates and portrays the issues of contemporary Egypt as woman.

BEIRUT 39 BY SIX EGYPTIAN WRITERS

This book is a collection of short stories by authors that aren’t only Egyptians. It includes works of six Egyptian authors: Ahmad Yamani, Hamdy el-Gazzar, Mansoura Ez-Eldin, Mohammad Salah al Azab, Nagat Ali and Youssef Rakha. Personally, my favourite short story was “The Path to Madness” by Mansoura Ez-Eldin.

THE MAP OF LOVE BY AHDAF SOUEIF

A book that was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A love story between an Egyptian nationalist and Lady Anna Winterbourne who comes from Britain to Egypt.

A DAUGHTER OF ISIS NAWAL EL SAADAWI

Another book by the great Nawal El Saadawi. It’s her autobiography and it focuses more on her early life and how she turned into an extraordinary novelist and activist.

UTOPIA BY AHMED KHALED TOWFIK

A futuristic profile of the Egyptian society in the year 2030. It shows how the society divided into two sections: the really rich and luxurious people and the poor peasants who don’t even have their simple needs. Full of turns and surprises that keeps you suspecting and doing last guesses till the last page.

BLACK MAGIC BY HAMDY EL-GAZZAR

Fourteen-year-old Nasir becomes a photographer after his dad gifts him with a camera. Nasir meets a divorced women. Escape, desire and fear of being lonely gets him pulled into an affair filled with erotic and emotional obsession.

REVOLUTION 2.0 BY WAEL GHONIEM

A beautiful memoir about the January 25 Egyptian revolution. It’s filled with emotions, feelings and personal experiences. This memoir takes you step by step to what happened before and during the revolution through the eyes of one the people who started calling for the revolution to take place.

ARAB WOMEN WRITERS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT STORIES

Another collection of short stories that are written by Arab women including around 12 Egyptian writers. It is divided into different issues that Arab women face.

Nouran Allam -Journalism student, aspiring writer and a book worm. I also happen to be a feminist who is interested about human rights in Egypt. But I can’t do all of that without a big mug of a coffee and a chocolate bar.

source:
http://egyptianstreets.com/2014/12/27/1 ... n-writers/


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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by carrie »

Ashamed to say I have read only one of those on the list I enjoyed the Cairo Trilogy though and that isn't listed and forgive the spelling The Jacobean Building and Kool Khaal is an eye opener. I will go in Aboudi tomorrow though and have a look at the other titles.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by HEPZIBAH »

I've read the same as you Carrie by the looks of it. I went to re-read Khul Khal (sp) recently but my copy wasn't where it should be which makes me think I've lent it out and it's not been returned. My problem now is trying to remember who I could have lent it to as I'm a bit selfish about hanging on to my books these days having not had so many returned that I would like to keep and read again. Amazing how the read once only books always make their way back to me though, even if I've suggested they can be passed on to others or to a charity shop!
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

This isn't quite on topic but reading from a Kindle or other electronic book precludes you lending the physical book out to somebody however on the other hand it does keep your purchased books in one place.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by HEPZIBAH »

LovelyLadyLux wrote:This isn't quite on topic but reading from a Kindle or other electronic book precludes you lending the physical book out to somebody however on the other hand it does keep your purchased books in one place.
I still cannot get to grips with my kindle. I have one and I have 100's (possibly 1000's I've not checked lately) of books loaded on it but I rarely use it. I read so much more when I have a physical book in front of me. They feel better, I can hold it better, there is a relationship between me and the book that I just don't get when I read it electronically. I do take my kindle when I'm travelling, and sometimes pop it into my handbag if I'm going to be out and have time for long coffee breaks and the people watching is limited. Other than that it waste of money.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by Who2 »

Last book I read by an Egyptian was Alaa Aswani's Chicago and that was back in 2007 this seems to be a very modern list… :cool:
Ps: Gave up on Ahadaf Soueif just Mills & Boon love crap….
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@ Hepzibah - From the day I purchased my first Kindle I put down paper books and read exclusively electronically. Switched over and never went back. More than love it and have actually found the Kindle easier to hold and the back lighting/font sizing easier on my eyes. Same with finding where I last left off in a book - the Kindle does it for me. To each his own ;) ;) ;) but I have missed reading a really good book and then being able to lend it out and share the story I've read. I rarely, if ever, re-read. Don't have the time as there are so many books already on my list to be read.

I think a feature on Kindles is an ability to electronically send your book to somebody else but I've never figured out how to do that and again, I think, that if you electronically lend there is a time limit imposed upon the reader to get the book read in X amount of time unlike a real book that can sit for ages.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by Yildez »

LovelyLadyLux wrote:@ Hepzibah - From the day I purchased my first Kindle I put down paper books and read exclusively electronically. Switched over and never went back. More than love it and have actually found the Kindle easier to hold and the back lighting/font sizing easier on my eyes. Same with finding where I last left off in a book - the Kindle does it for me. To each his own ;) ;) ;) but I have missed reading a really good book and then being able to lend it out and share the story I've read. I rarely, if ever, re-read. Don't have the time as there are so many books already on my list to be read.

I think a feature on Kindles is an ability to electronically send your book to somebody else but I've never figured out how to do that and again, I think, that if you electronically lend there is a time limit imposed upon the reader to get the book read in X amount of time unlike a real book that can sit for ages.
Yep, me too LLL! Re book sharing, i took out a short subscription to Burgermeister, which allows you to download 5 books a day from thousands in the library and stacks - and these are the latest fiction and non-fiction, not just classics etc. once your subscription is finished you still have access to the Exchange, where you can offer and request books.

The books are sent to your email (Gmail is best as Yahoo and Hotmail can't always handle the file size) as zipped documents. I download them and run them through Calibre, a free book management programme which converts the format to Mobi if necessary, and then onto my Kindle. The advantage of Calibre? If a friend with a Kindle visits, you can download all your latest acquisitions to their Kindle - increases your popularity no end!!!

Some books, with maps, diagrams or photos, or PDF documents, are difficult to read on the small screen format of the Kindle - I download them to my iPad! :lol:

Using the system I've outlined book sharing is a piece of cake - I regularly sent books to friends.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@ Yildez - very interesting. I knew there was a way to share but I hadn't figured it out but will look more into the programs you mentioned.

Depending on how you look at it - if you are reading a physical book others can SEE what you're reading which makes the tendency to lend greater as whomever is seeing you reading is more likely to comment on the book which also make it more likely you'd offer to lend it, discuss it, comment about it.

Reading on a Kindle is more private. Nobody can really see what you're reading so there are never comments about your reading material. If you want to share thoughts/concerns/insights/whatever about what you're reading YOU have to be more proactive in doing it and actually bring up the topic that 'the book I'm reading is really interesting re: blah blah blah'...

And lending a book also means the person has to have a Kindle. My daughter has a Nook. Not sure if you can cross share - a Kindle to a Nook or other e-reader?
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by carrie »

Oh here we go again Yildez and her Kindle, she has tried to get me to use mine for two years now and had no luck. There is something about a book the feel of the paper the smell of a book that you just don't get with all these electronic devices. I heard the other day that the sale of pornography has increased mightily because like you say LLL no one can see what you are reading. Forget the brown paper covers just get out your Kindle.
Sorry but I will remain in the stone age with my books.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

OMG - I never thought about porn! :))) :)))

Guess that is why all those people had paper bags on their Kindle last time I was in the coffee shop reading! ;)

Personally I find it easier to hold the Kindle than a book but as sure for all the pros re: Kindle there are equal cons. I personally love it and regularly look at and load books to read and it has really decreased the amount of book clutter I used to have cause I'm keeping an entire few hundred if not thousand books in one place.

I will admit I do still buy books (hard copy + paper version) for the Grandkids. Haven't moved them into the electronic book age - yet ;)
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by carrie »

That reminded me about reading to my kids LLL at bedtime and us all looking at all the pictures, some of the books when they were small were interactive when you pressed the picture of a cow it would moo. Just wouldn't be the same fun at bedtime reading from a kindle.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@ Carrie - actually I do read stories to the grandkids from my Kindle and the stories complete with sound effects are MORE interactive than I could ever be with a book ;)

That being said the majority of reading I do do with the Grandkids IS in book form. We read lots as having a story read to them is probably their most favourite activity of all time and I do continuously buy hard copy books for the grandkids.

I also have one Dinosaur encyclopedia. Lots of big photos and from the time they have been about 3 years old we go through the entire book front to back, page by page we me simply naming the different dinosaur names they then repeat. They have been absolutely fascinated with this particular book which is way above their heads in some respects but they love it so much and never fail to want to see all the pictures and just know the name of the dinosaur.

They have been able to name most any dinosaur since forever and have a huge collection of dinosaur toys that get dragged out every time they come over. Always super cute (to me) hearing them pronounce all the long names and now tell me if the dinosaur is, for example, a herbivore or carnivore etc. All the educational throw in tidbits.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by carrie »

Have you never LLL got sick to the back teeth of reading the favorite book of the moment night after night, so decided to miss a bit out. The little darlings know straight away. Happy days.
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Re: 10 Must-Read Books By Egyptian Writers

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

We have one book called "Rabbit Stew" that I swear I can recite in my sleep ;) THEY can recite it word for word and I can't even skip a page or miss a sentence without being told about it. Somehow (ahem) it got lost for a while.

I also have to read double as the grandkids are twins so I have to read double! AND they have no compunction about bringing out an armful when it is time to read which to them is really anytime.
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