Magdy al-Shafee

Formerly Banned Graphic Novel ‘Metro’ Now Available in Cairo

Five years after its initial publication, Magdy al-Shafee’s graphic novel Metro is once again available in Arabic in Egypt: By Elisabeth Jaquette Metro is Egypt’s first graphic novel and a vivid portrait of poverty and corruption under Mubarak’s rule. When it was first published in January 2008, it was quicklyContinue Reading

The ‘Graphic Poem’ as Protest Literature

A good deal has been written, and rightly so, about the role protest poetry has played in this “Arab spring.” Less has been said about political poetry’s younger cousin: the political cartoon.Continue Reading

Forthcoming in Translation and in Re-translation: al-Shafee’s ‘Metro’ and Shimon’s ‘An Iraqi in Paris’

The Guardian reported yesterday that “Banned books return to shelves in Egypt and Tunisia,” and, for at least a few books, this seems to be the case.Continue Reading

Magdy al-Shafee Has New Illustrated Nonfiction (for the Revolution) on WWB

Apparently, Magdy al-Shafee put together a short illustrated tract on the revolution that he made available in Tahrir.Continue Reading

Lena Merhej, Tok Tok, and Calls for the New Arabic Graphic Novel

In a few weeks, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture—formerly based in Amman, now in Beirut—promises to launch its first open call for proposals for its Arab Graphic Novel Program. Continue Reading

Egyptian Graphic Novelist Magdy Al-Shafee Speaks at Italian Festival

And I also just heard from one of the organizers of the first-ever Arabic ComicCon, set to be held in Abu Dhabi. He said there should be an announcement with show dates and specifics within the week. Continue Reading

Magdy Al-Shafee’s Banned ‘Metro’ To Be Unveiled At Festival of Mediterranean Comics

Arabic-Italian Translator Barbara Benini informs me that Magdy al-Shafee’s graphic novel Metro will be out in Italian at the end of the month. This, after a long road of bannings and fines for al-Shafee. Continue Reading

Publishing Perspectives Looks at Arabic Graphic Novels

After dropping in on a recent YA-writing workshop in Cairo, translator/commentator Chip Rosetti published the first of a two-part series for the online magazine Publishing Perspectives about Arabic graphic novels. Continue Reading

Magdy El-Shafee’s /Metro/ Not Available in Arabic, or English, But You Will Find It in…Italian

Thanks to translator Barbara Benini for this tip. (Benini is the Italian translator of Ahmed Nagi’s Rogers.) Metro, a graphic novel penned by blogger/artist Magdy al-Shafee, is not available here in Cairo after having been yanked from shelves in 2009. The Qasr el Nil Court of Misdemeanors upheld the book’sContinue Reading