Iman Mersal: The Limits and Pleasures of Egyptian Womanhood

Iman Mersal is a major figure in international literature, an Egyptian poet whose work is characterised by her ardently experimental style. Her latest book, Fee Athar Enayat Al Zayyat (In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat), was published in 2019 and was named as the winner of the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Book Award earlier this year. Inspired by the work, life and death of Egyptian writer Enayat Al-Zayyat, Mersal writes the portrait of a woman rallying against a society framed by nationalism and fear, where individualism is something to be quashed. There are parallels between Mersal’s own experiences as a writer who came of age in 1990s Egypt and her protagonist who was trying to get published in the same country 60 years ago. Mersal discusses her astounding work of nonfiction, contemporary Egyptian womanhood, and how translation takes words ‘to new languages and homes’ with poet and writer Mona Kareem.

This event is 4:15-5:15 p.m. BST; apologies, WordPress only allows start and end times on the half hour.

This is a live event, with an author Q&A. Book your spot at the event here.