Middle East/North African Lit discussion

Please post here any books you would like to read in June about Cairo!

I think the must-read of 2019 is BOOK OF CAIRO, 10 stories, ed. Raphael Cormack published by Comma Press.

Marcia wrote: "I think the must-read of 2019 is BOOK OF CAIRO, 10 stories, ed. Raphael Cormack published by Comma Press."

The Book of Cairo: A City in Short Fiction looks interesting .

Oh sorry! I should have put a link.

Perhaps a dumb question, but NileDaughter's comment in the 2019 planning thread says, we're reading this book in June and the initial comment above says, "in 2019". Are we nominating books to read in June or only a month in 2019? thank you!

Hi Carol, Thanks - I fixed the comment above. The nominations are for readings in June.

Melanie wrote: "Hi Carol, Thanks - I fixed the comment above. The nominations are for readings in June."

Thank you, Melanie!

Marcia wrote: "Oh sorry! I should have put a link."

No problem at all :)

Another book
The literary atlas of Cairo: One Hundred Years on the Streets of the City
https://egyptindependent.com/explorin...

Gamal El-Ghitani is fascinated with both Mahfouz's linearity and Cairo , The Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz seems a good book .

Kairo u 1000 godina has been on my to read list for a while but there seems no English translation .

El-Ghitani who died four years ago is the author of Zayni Barakat which is one of the best hundred Arabic novels, more about him

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/13528...

Niledaughter wrote: "Gamal El-Ghitani is fascinated with both Mahfouz's linearity and Cairo , The Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz seems a good book .

Kairo u 1000 godina has been ..."

I nominate Zayni Barakat.

Nan wrote: "I nominate Zayni Barakat...."

Interesting , I did not see this coming ! :)

Here is an interesting article about Islamic Cairo that inspired Mahfouz and El-Ghitani :

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsConte...

Here is a book portraying Islamic Cairo Historic Cairo - A Walk Through the Islamic City , since I came across David Roberts while reading "Pity the nation book" I guess his portrays of Cairo should be mentioned Cairo Portfolio. As for photo-graphical record Cairo: From Edge to Edge seems interesting .

Niledaughter wrote: "Nan wrote: "I nominate Zayni Barakat...."

Interesting , I did not see this coming ! :)

Here is an interesting article about Islamic Cairo that inspired Mahfouz and El-Ghitani :

http://english.ah..."

Thank you for the article about Islamic Cairo. I’m reading it now.

Nan wrote: "Thank you for the article about Islamic Cairo. I’m reading it now...."

Sorry for the error in format , I hope it worked with you :)


For Mahfouz’s novels dealing with this part of Cairo with great details are The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk / Palace of Desire / Sugar Street , Khan Al-Khalili .

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Anther Cairo is " Cairo of Khedive Ismail" or Khedivial Cairo , by the end of the 19th century Cairo was two cities Medieval Cairo and Khedivial Cairo

https://rawi-magazine.com/articles/kh...

Today we know it as downtown Cairo , over the years Down town and Cairo suburbs that were established by the late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed a great deal of transformation starting from the fifties , we read an important novel touching this transformation The Yacoubian Building .

I like Samir Rafaat blog about Cairo

http://www.egy.com/index.shtml

I did not read his books Cairo, the glory years: who built what, when, why and for whom ... , Maadi 1904 1962: Society And History In A Cairo Suburb but I think he gathered a lot of his articles in them .

Niledaughter wrote: "Nan wrote: "Thank you for the article about Islamic Cairo. I’m reading it now...."

Sorry for the error in format , I hope it worked with you :)


For Mahfouz’s novels dealing with this part of Cai..."
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Thank You Niledaughter for taking the time to put together all these references. I’ve been to Cairo and this helps increase my love for Cairo.
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The formatting was not a problem. I found the article and rereading parts of it. I’ve read and passed on to several friends, the Cairo trilogy. Khan Al-Khalili is on my TBR list for this summer. I’ve been there. I’m always interested in the historical context of a novel. This is helpful.
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Just glanced at Cairo of Khedive and will read it today. Looks like another article to help put novels in historical perspective. I’ve read
The Yacoubian Building.
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Samir Rafaati’s blog looks like there is a lot of very interesting information. I’m searching libraries for his book. So far The British Library is the only library. Maybe my library can find it on a loan.
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Nan wrote: "Thank You Niledaughter for taking the time to put together all these references. I’ve been to Cairo and this helps increase my love for Cairo. ..."

You are more than welcome , I am enjoying this as Cairo is my city , I wish I could have done this for the other cities we visited .

You visited Cairo , that is great ! :D

We read "Khan Al-Khalili" in the group but we did not read "the Cairo trilogy" , I wish I can re-read as I read it more than 20 years ago , May be we can read it at the group at some point as it is a huge read .


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Niledaughter wrote: " As for photo-graphical record Cairo: From Edge to Edge seems interesting..."

I wanted to make a note about this book that the author of the text of this portrait is Sonallah Ibrahim who is a very prominent Egyptian author , We read Zaat in the group a few years ago ,here is an interview with him in 2017 showing his opinions .

https://www.thecairoreview.com/q-a/pl...

Here are some novels or biographies dealing with the change of the Egyptian society :

#Cairo of the 1930s in Cairo Modern by Naguib Mahfouz

#An international Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) Nominee (2008)- shortlisted Cairo Swan Song by Mekkawi Said , Mekkawi is very melancholic in his writing , more about him
https://arablit.org/2016/12/22/meet-m...
the novel
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...

# The Cairo House

#The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
I would love to lead a buddy read for this one as I own a copy for so long .

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A book analyzing the city development Cairo: Histories of a City
Review
https://www.academia.edu/5891764/Nanc...

I would be most interested in Cairo Modern or The Yacoubian Building, and willing to lead a discussion of either. Literary Atlas is a tier down (for me) but also out of my price range.

Nile Daughter, I would be interested in a buddy read of The Man in the Sharkskin Suit. Not immediately. I’m snowed under at the moment, but maybe in June or July.

I also would love to read The Cairo Trilogy again some day. I think I took about 4 months or more when I read it a few years ago which worked well for me. It’s not really a book to be rushed, is it!

Carol wrote: "I would be most interested in Cairo Modern or The Yacoubian Building, and willing to lead a discussion of either. Literary Atlas is a tier down (for me) but also out of..."

Great ,Now we have
Zayni Barakat
Cairo Modern
The Yacoubian Building - we read it in the group 7 years ago , I guess there will be no problem re-reading it

What else ?
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Sue wrote: "Nile Daughter, I would be interested in a buddy read of The Man in the Sharkskin Suit. Not immediately. I’m snowed under at the moment, but maybe in June or July.

I also would love to read The Cai..."

Hello Sue , long time :)

July will be fine for "The Man in the Sharkskin Suit"
As for "The Cairo Trilogy" , we need to set a long reading period for it .
We can start 2020 by it ! :D

To add to this thread collection , this book seems interesting Randa Shaath: Under the Same Sky, Cairo .

Poll is over , we will be reading The Yacoubian Building in June . (June 1st to July 1st)

I do wish to read Zayni Barakat at some point but I can not propose a reading date now .

Carol wrote: "I would be most interested in Cairo Modern or The Yacoubian Building, and willing to lead a discussion of either. Literary Atlas is a tier down (for me) but also out of..."

Thank you so much and I hope "The Yacoubian Building" discussion will be a great one ! :D

Niledaughter wrote: "Poll is over , we will be reading The Yacoubian Building in June . (June 1st to July 1st)

I do wish to read Zayni Barakat at some point but I can not propose a reading ..."

I do, too.

Carol wrote: "Niledaughter wrote: "Poll is over , we will be reading The Yacoubian Building in June . (June 1st to July 1st)

I do wish to read Zayni Barakat at some point but I can n..."

Of course, I’m not trying to influence anyone’s vote, however, Zayni Barakat is on both the AWU and Banipal List.

:D

I hope we will be able to read "Zayni Barakat" this year , we need to arrange some upcoming reads so we can find a good reading period .

Niledaughter wrote: "Poll is over , we will be reading The Yacoubian Building in June . (June 1st to July 1st)

I do wish to read Zayni Barakat at some point but I can not propose a reading ..."

Do you want me to set up our discussion thread for Yacoubian or will you? Thanks!

Carol wrote: "Do you want me to set up our discussion thread for Yacoubian or will you? Thanks!.."

Please do open it, and it is up to you if it is one thread or two (spoiler and no-spoiler) .

Thank you so much Carol ! :D

Niledaughter wrote: "Carol wrote: "Do you want me to set up our discussion thread for Yacoubian or will you? Thanks!.."

Please do open it, and it is up to you if it is one thread or two (spoiler and no-spoiler) .

Tha..."

Will do! Thanks.

Thanks ! please put a link to it here :)

Niledaughter wrote: "Thanks ! please put a link to it here :)"

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks!

A discussion for The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
was opened in here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...