Coming Soon: Book Events in Egypt
These aren’t necessarily (all) literary events, mind you, but they are celebrations of the book in English and Arabic.
May 20, 8 p.m., Sherouk Bookstore: Mohandiseen, Cairo.
As AmiraAK notes below (thanks, Amira!) Mekkawi Said—shortlisted for the inaugural Arabic Booker for his Cairo Swan Song—will be talking about his new book, Downtown Acquisitions. There will also be music and readings by Abeer Suleiman. (I assume this is the same Abeer Suleiman who wrote Diary of a Spinster.) More about the event.
May 21, 8 p.m., Kotob Khan: New Ma’adi, Cairo.
Come and meet Alaa el Aswany, author of the much-ballyhooed The Yacoubian Building, translated by Humphrey Davies. Al-Aswany will speak about his work, about democracy in Egypt, and will sign his new books هل نستحق الديمقراطية؟ and book لماذا لا يثور المصريون؟ .
The discussion will apparently be tri-linguil: Arabic, English and French.
May 29, 7 p.m.: Biblioteca Alexandrina Conference Center, Alex.
The library will host the launch of the book Diaries of an Egyptian Princess, by Nevine Abbas Halim.
May 29, 7 p.m.: Diwan Bookshop, Zamalek, Cairo.
From a (forward) from Mohamed Salmawy, President of the Writers’ Union of Egypt and Secretary General of the General Union of Arab Writers:
It gives me great pleasure to invite you to the celebration at Diwan Bookshop in Zamalek on the occasion of my having completed 40 years in the writing profession. It will include the book signing of my publications in Arabic, English, French and Italian, together with my latest book “Ten Egyptian Papyri”.
It will take place on Saturday 29 May 2010 at 7 p.m.
Looking forward to seeing you there. Mohamed Salmawy
Books written or edited by Salmawy you might have read (in English) include: Naguib Mahfouz at Sidi Gaber, published by AUC Press in 2001, and Come Back Tomorrow, published by Three Continents Press in 1985.
May 19, 2010 @ 7:35 am
hi there..
There’s also Mekkawy Said who will be giving a talk at Sherouk Bookstore in Mohandessin on Thursday 20th May at 8 pm.
He’ll be discussing his new release and there will be a musical performance and storytelling too.
Here’s the piece of news in Arabic:
تستضيف مكتبة الشروق المهندسين (26 شارع محمد كامل مرسى من البطل احمد عبد العزيز) الكاتب المعروف مكاوي سعيد في لقاء مفتوح مع القراء بمناسبة صدور كتابه “مقتنيات وسط البلد”، وذلك في الثامنة من مساء الخميس 20 مايو. ويتضمن اللقاء حوارًا حول الكتاب، وعددًا من الأغنيات المصحوبة بعزف على الكولة للفنان سيد إمام، بالإضافة إلى عرض للحكي تؤدي فيه الكاتبة عبير سليمان واحدًا من أجمل نصوص الكتاب.
مقتنيات وسط البلد هو دعوة فنية لإنقاذ ذاكرة وسط البلد، يرصد فيه مكاوي سعيد جانبا هاما من الحياة في وسط القاهرة بناسها وأماكنها منذ الثمانينيات، ويتضمن الكتاب مجموعة من الرسوم الداخلية الرائعة التي أعدها الفنان عمرو الكفراوي.
مكاوي سعيد سيناريست وقاص وروائي من أهم أعماله “فئران السفينة”، و”تغريدة البجعة” التي رشحت ضمن القائمة القصيرة لجائزة البوكر العربية في دورتها الأولى عام 2007.
May 19, 2010 @ 7:42 am
Thanks, AmiraAK.
Looks interesting…and tomorrow already! I have to get on a Sherouk mailing list.