Author: Sherif Abdel Samad

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Cover of Latifa al-Zayyat′s biography (source: mobtada.com)

The 20th anniversary of Latifa al-Zayyat′s death

Dauntless 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 SamadMore

Interview with Nawal El Saadawi: "They don't want any really courageous people!"Religion and freedom of expression: The birth of a new theocracy?Obituary: Fatima Mernissi: Icon of Arab feminism
Indonesian novelist Eka Kurniawan (photo: Getty Images/AFP/Goh Chai Hin)

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 bookMore

Interview with the Indonesian writer Feby Indirani: Indonesian literature "needs more exposure" Pramoedya Ananta Toer: Indonesian author leaves blueprint for pluralismLiterature in Indonesia: A land without readers
Egypt′s music legend Abdel Halim Hafez (source: YouTube)

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 More

Ahmad Abdalla′s film ″Decor″: Let the audience decide what′s realIbrahim El Batout's film "El Ott": "We sell people, we sell souls"Qantara dossier: "Arab cinema"
Photo of the author Evelyn Waugh, 1940 (source: Carl Van Vechten Photographs Collection, Library of Congress, USA)

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 More

Agatha Christie and the Orient: When murder came to Mesopotamia An elegant pilgrimage: Baron Heinrich von Maltzan in MeccaPierre Loti: Dreams of the Orient
Houthi rebels at a checkpoint in Yemen (photo: Reuters/K. Abdullah)

Power struggle in Yemen

An 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 rebelsMore

Iran's foreign policy in Yemen and Iraq: Arab fear of the "extended arm of Iran"Political upheaval in Yemen: The triumphant advance of the Houthi rebelsFederalism and state-building in Yemen: Between transition and stagnation

In brief

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Tunisia: The troglodyte dwellings of Matmata

The Berber village Matmata in southern Tunisia is famous for its quaint underground houses and cave dwellings, which are pleasantly cool in summer and comfortably warm in winter.