Book Review

Book Review: The Fly On The Rose (الذبابة على الوردة) by Khodeir Meirry: Khodeir Meirry's autobiographical account of his experience as an "Enemy of The State" in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's reign, is a novel that is simultaneously harrowing and sublime. This is a novel written by someone who has literally been to hell and back; someone who has experienced the true meaning of human evil and lived to tell the tale. And the tale isn't pretty. Meirry, a prose stylist and a masterful storyteller, takes us through his journey, which begins with being a Medical School student who aspires to be a writer; to being considered a "criminal" and sent to a penal colony where he is tortured, almost to death, for refusing to admit his guilt of a crime that is never defined; to being sent to an insane asylum as a schizophrenic with no hope of a cure.

Throughout the novel, the reader senses Meirry's pain and anguish at the corruption, stupidity, ego, and lawlessness of Saddam Hussein's regime, where intellectuals are persecuted for no reason other than their desire to think, analyze and speak what they deem the truth; where soulless individuals are treated like gods, and humble people are treated like animals; where sanity is a precious commodity and insanity the norm. Meirry's account of his struggle to hold on to his sanity in the face of unspeakable horrors is touching, fierce and unflinching. But, strangely enough, never sentimental; mainly because Meirry focuses on what it means to be sane and strong; what it takes to break a man and transform him into nothing but a mumbling wreck; and what it truly means to be free. He doesn't dwell on the ugly details of torture and humiliation (although he doesn't shy away from them, either), instead focusing almost solely on his own psyche and how it responds to the horrors it experiences. In the end, according to Meirry, what saved him was a mixture of faith, resilience, sheer luck, and his belief in the power of art and imagination, as, during his incarceration, he devoured book after book, in an attempt to escape the harrowing reality that surrounded him.

With this novel, Meirry confirms his status as a superb storyteller, whose command of language, pacing and character is a marvel to behold. He is also the only Arab writer I've come across who's truly capable of portraying, with beauty and restraint, and convincingly, characters whose minds are coming undone. A masterpiece that should be discussed and analyzed for years to come.

* Available from Al-Hadara Publishing.

Book Review

Book Review: The Idol (الصنم) by Mohamed Alaa El Din: A triumph of style over substance, Mohamed Alaa El Din's short novella The Idol (الصنم) is an acquired taste. The story is thin, the book is very short (under 60 pages), and the overall atmosphere dream-like. But the writing is lush, the descriptive passages drip with atmosphere, and the story, however thin, is strange and hypnotically told. The story revolves around the relationship between an oracle/mystic and his young son, who travel from one place to another, seemingly running from something. Along the way the father works as a fortune-teller and spellcaster, and, slowly, we discover that he is both feared by many and afraid of something that's haunting him and his son. Meanwhile, the son has terrifying visions that involve a mysterious man thwarting him and tides of blood washing over him. The boy feels that all his and his father's troubles are somehow linked to a family heirloom that they take with them wherever they go: an idol of a one-eyed man.

Yes. The story is indeed bizarre. But Alaa El Din sure knows how to cast a spell, as his style is fluid and unique, and his characters memorable. And the ambiguous, frightening ending also packs a punch. This is a stylistically daring novel, and one which haunts the reader days after he/she has finished it.

* Available from El-Ain Publishing.

Book Review

Book Review: Peek-A-Boo and other stories (بيكا - بوو و قصص أخرى) by Ehab Medhat: With its inane title and Japanese-Horror-Style cover artwork, you could mistake this collection of stories for cheap entertainment. Well, it isn't. Peek-A-Boo and other stories by Ehab Medhat is a surprisingly effective collection of tales that covers a range of genres.

The collection consists of nine stories, which include: The opening title story - about a young Egyptian woman who adopts a young girl with seemingly paranormal abilities - is a strange choice for an opening tale, since, despite being an effective and occasionally clever allegory for spousal abuse, it's far from being the strongest of the bunch; The President's Guard, a neat psychological suspense tale about a poor young man who - after failing to join the Egyptian Police Academy and fulfill his dream of becoming one of the President's personal bodyguards - comes undone and plots to have his moment of glory, anyway he can; I saw The Devil, an intriguing tale about child abuse and the dark side of humanity, which succeeds in being grimly unnerving; The Ring Of No Laws, a disturbing, clever story, which seemingly is about a weird wrestling match between a man and a woman, but which turns out to be something else entirely; I Didn't Kill My Wife, my personal favorite, a strange, atmospheric crime tale about police brutality, psychosis, the nature of love, and much more. It is a sprawling, ambitious tale, that, alone, justifies buying this collection and proves that Ehab Medhat is a talent to watch.

But that doesn't mean the collection is devoid of duff stories. Far from it. A Matter Of Principle, about a psychiatrist who suspects his wife of infidelity, is a self-indulgent exercise in cliched atmospherics. The Security Guard is a bland tale that thinks itself much cleverer than it really is. While 'Ar'Ar's Daughter, about a poor girl who wishes to grow up to become a pediatrician, is a pretentious little tale that goes nowhere. Medhat also makes the questionable choice of closing his collection with The Old Man And The Shovel, an ambiguous horror story that ends with a cliffhanger!

Throughout the collection one gets the feeling that Medhat is a talented and imaginative writer who is cutting his teeth on these stories. The quality of the stories waver, but the craftsmanship is always there, even when the plots leave something to be desired. But his true accomplishment lies in succeeding in bringing the Egyptian suspense tale screaming into the 21st century. His characters, for the most part, feel modern and like they live in the real world. And his references to popular Arabic TV channels and other pop-culture markers make his stories unabashedly populist in nature (much like Stephen King, whom Medhat quotes on the very first page of the collection, and who was one of the first horror writers in history to make his characters continuously reference pop-culture and thus ground his stories in the real world).

While it has its share of weak stories, this is an entertaining collection from an Egyptian writer who doesn't shy away from wearing his influences on his sleeves (which, arguably, include Stephen King and other popular horror and suspense writers), and who isn't afraid to experiment with different styles and forms; something which makes him a versatile and somewhat daring Egyptian author. I for one am looking forward to watching him grow as a writer.

* Visit the author's official website for more info about the book and where to buy.

English-Language Fiction from Egypt

I have noticed that there aren't many websites and magazines that discuss English-Language Fiction from Egypt (original, not translated). So I decided to conduct a little research of my own, and came up with this list, which, hopefully, is a complete list of all Original English-Language Fiction published in Egypt. Here goes:

The Years Of Silence by Marwa Ayad: A contemporary tale of spousal abuse and the search for love, by young Egyptian author Marwa Ayad. This is her first and only book (s0 far), and it has garnered some positive reviews, and, according to the author, has achieved good sales as well. Published by Malamih Publishing House. Click here for the book's official website.

Velo by Amr Khaled: A book about being young and lost in contemporary Egypt. The tale is laced with strange images and philosophical interludes. According to some online sources, the book was a bestseller in Egypt for a short time. Click here for the author's website. Published by Malamih Publishing House.

29! by Yasmine Adel Refaat: A collection of short stories encompassing a range of genres, all deeply rooted in psychology. Published by Malamih Publishing House.





When The Honeymoon Is Over by May Taher: A collection of sixteen short stories revolving around romantic relationships in contemporary Egypt. The book, published by Shabab Books, is the most expensive of all the titles listed here, with a retail price of 110 L.E, and is published in Hard Cover, unlike all the other releases which were published in Paperback. Online buzz and reviews haven't been kind to this collection. Visit the author's Facebook page here.

The Lord Of Illusions by Amr Shehata: A novel. Published by Shabab Books. Here is an excerpt from the official synopsis: "Dr. Galal Daggal – an Egyptian scientist and billionaire invents and sells a pill which when consumed, activates the human subconscious mind allowing people to dream whatever they desire while asleep. People dreamt they were rich. People dreamt they were married. People dreamt their deceased family members were still alive. People's dreams were limitless.

Is this the ultimate solution to bringing the long-lost happiness to the suppressed Egyptian people and causing general stability to the country? Or is it only the brink of something worse? "

* Thanks to author Mahmoud Mansi for the heads up about the book.

A Journey From Darkness To Light by Mahmoud Mansi: Arguably, the most ambitious (and longest) of all the novels listed here, this strange, genre-bending novel is part fantasy, part philosophy and part adventure story. Its author, Mahmoud Mansi, previously published this novel in Alexandria (his home city) as a limited-edition. Now he's re-published it in a deluxe paperback edition, which is printed by Author House, one of the most popular self-publishers in the US and the UK. The novel is available to buy from Souq.com, and for international readers, from Amazon. Click here for the author's blog.








Melancholia by Basil Fateen: Released in 2010 by Shabab Books.

I couldn't find much information about this novel and its author, but here is some of the text posted by the author, Basil Fateen, on the book's official Facebook page: "So yeah...I wrote a novel. About a year ago. And now...finally...after months of waiting around, wandering the streets aimlessly all day and then crying myself to sleep every night...it's coming out. And I hope that you go buy it and enjoy it. But at the very least buy it, you don't have to enjoy it. We've manufactured the book in such a way that it can also be used for various functions around the house; to keep a short leg on a table level, to throw at a spouse during an argument, and even for erotic pleasure (somehow). So my point is...buy it. Or I might not be able to afford the life-saving operation for my three legged puppy. Seriously. You don't want that on your conscience. But I do hope you enjoy it..."

Check out the book's official Facebook page for more info on the book and where to buy it.
There is also a short film made by author, featuring one of the characters from the book.

And, there is my novel, Beware The Stranger, published by Al-Hadara Publishing. It's a Young-Adult thriller, set in Cairo, Egypt, featuring vampires, monsters, sorcerers, and much more. It's available from these local bookstores, and, for international readers, from Amazon Kindle.

If you know about any other Egyptian English-Language books (fiction only) that aren't listed here, please send me an email. Thanks.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Rainbow Dance (رقصة قوس قزح) by Sherif Meleika: I previously reviewed Sherif Meleika's novel, Soloman's Ring (خاتم سليمان), which I found to be a revelation; a stylish, engrossing, original historical Egyptian novel that defies categorization. Well, Meleika's new novel, The Rainbow Dance (رقصة قوس قزح), also is a novel that is hard to categorize, and one which cements Meleika's position as one of Egypt's most important novelists. This is a beautifully written, deeply touching, and boldly dark piece of work.

The novel revolves around a group of Egyptian immigrants living in America (including Mourad, a former Judge, and his wife; Ashraf, a doctor who suffers from clinical depression; Magdy, an extremist young Muslim man; and Labib, a disturbed, sexually perverted musician) who all share a terrible memory: The memory of the 4th of July celebration where they all gathered and on which something terrible happened to Magdy's daughter. The novel is divided into seven parts (and an epilogue), each part focusing on the statement of one of the characters regarding what happened on that fateful day. Each part is represented by a different rainbow color which reflects the mood and/or psyche of each narrator.

Meleika really stretches his narrative muscles here, smoothly shifting from one voice to another to show us each character's take on what happened that day. Each character is meticulously drawn, so that you really get to know each of these deeply damaged, complex people. From Ashraf, who suffers from clinical depression, and whose sarcastic yet touching tone is compelling and haunting, to Mourad, whose guilt-laden, grief-ravaged thoughts are deeply affecting, to Salwa, the sexually-frigid wife, whose bitter, sad musings are moving and disturbing, these are characters that feel real, their thoughts ringing true. Also, the novel, bravely, deals with topics that most Egyptian authors are either too self-censoring or too coy to deal with; like Egyptians' and Arab's double-standards when it comes to the U.S. (for example: we loathe their sexual freedom and their lifestyle, yet, secretly, we covet and admire those very same things); homosexual Egyptian youths and - due to a repressed and oppressive society - how confused and guilt-laden they are; and, most importantly, how it really is to be an Egyptian immigrant in the U.S. (both the good and the bad). Meleika tackles all these issues with panache, wit, intelligence, and an unflinching eye; as this is a dark novel, filled with pain, loss and uncomfortable truths. But it is also compelling, wonderfully written, and filled to the brim with memorable characters and sharp dialogue.

Although the central premise is somewhat implausible (the characters too readily agree to share, with a friend, their most intimate thoughts regarding a tragic event), this is a minor caveat, since this is a fascinating, thought-provoking, challenging story about a group of flawed, damaged people, struggling with the darkest aspects of what it means to be human. A must read.

* Available from Al-Hadara Publishing.

Book Review: The Widow Writes Letters In Secret (الأرملة تكتب الخطابات سرا) by Tareq Imam: Tareq Imam's third novel is, in my humble opinion, his most accomplished piece of long fiction. Although, from day one, his unique style and grasp of imagery were strongly evident, The Widow Writes Letters in Secret, is a step forward in terms of narrative skills and literary accomplishment. Why, you ask? The answer is simple: With this novel, and for the first time in his already accomplished career as a writer, Imam manages to imbue his stylish imagery and hallucinatory plots with something new: Affection for his characters.

The story - about an old widow (Malak) who returns to her native town for the first time in decades after her husband's death, and who tries to fill the emotional void in her life by writing romantic letters on behalf of her teenage students, whom she tutors, so that they can present them, as their own, to their lovers - is intriguing, and as told by Imam's unique style, highly atmospheric. Add the wandering ghost of Malak's husband and a mysterious letter which the widow wakes up one night to find plastered to the flesh of her thigh, and you get a wildly original, Gothic tale that is hard to put down once you start reading it. But what's really surprising here is how touching the story is. Despite its short length (the novella is 79 pages long), Imam manages to flesh out his characters, especially the widow, Malak, who is a tragic, sad character, perpetually mourning the loss of her youth and her first love. But despite her sadness and her age, there is a romantic fire that burns within her, whose heat we can feel and empathize with as the story moves along. Also, the relationship between the widow and the nun who lives across the street from her, is a touching interlude, brilliantly written, and a considerable achievement, considering that it only takes Imam a handful of pages to create such a vivid, memorable rapport between these two characters. Imam, as always, also has something to say about contemporary Egypt, and it isn't pretty, making this not only an entertaining piece of work, but also a multi-layered one.

Although the ambiguous, circular ending is a bit disappointing, this is an original, stylish, memorable piece of work, and another brilliant piece of storytelling by Tarq Imam, one of Egypt's most accomplished contemporary writers. Unmissable.

* Available from Dar Al-Ain.

Double Extra! Special Promotion: For a limited time only, my novel, Beware The Stranger and my feature film, Wingrave, are both available to buy exclusively from Souq.com in limited-edition, signed copies. So if you are a fan of my work, Gothic/Horror, Young Adult Fiction, or Experimental Egyptian Films, follow this link and buy a copy of the film and/or novel. Hopefully, you won't regret it. Click here and here for trailers.

That's it fore me. Till next time, keep browsing those shelves!

Book Review

Book Review: But it's Mozart! (!و لكنه موتسارت) by Lamiaa Mokhtar: Every once in a while you come across a book that takes you by surprise; not necessarily because it's brilliant, but because it's unique and heartfelt. Lamiaa Mokthar's play, But it's Mozart!, took me by surprise, for several reasons. Firstly, it's a play about the almost mythic rivalry between Mozart and Salieri, and it's written by an Egyptian woman. That, in itself, is something, considering the current state of Egyptian society. Secondly, the play is so compelling and energetic, that, while reading it, one forgets that the play doesn't cover any new ground regarding the subject matter, which is a testament to Mokthar's storytelling talent. But, to me, the most striking aspect about this play is that despite its brevity, it manages to paint both Mozart and Salieri vividly, really bringing them to life. Mokthar makes this feat look easy, but, really, it isn't.

The rivalry between these two legendary composers (which, to this day, some claim is nothing more than a myth, unsupported by facts) has been the subject of numerous written works, most famous of which are Alexander Pushkin's short drama Mozart and Salieri, and Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus, which was adapted into the Oscar-winning film of the same name. Mokthar borrows liberally from these two works; but she also adds another touch that is, arguably, all her own, which is giving the story an almost mythic feel by adding (in the very first scene of the play) the imaginary character of a gypsy that tells a young Salieri that his life will be ruined by the Sin of Envy. The ending, in which the ghost of Mozart's father appears to Mozart to show him the future, also is a brilliant touch, and one which gives the story and the play a bitter-sweet/fairy-tale like atmosphere.

I, for one, would have paid to see this play performed on the stage. But as a book (which the publisher cleverly formats like a novel for easy reading), this is a compelling, one-sitting read, which, if not quite a must for fans of Mozart, is recommended for readers and theatre-buffs looking for something fresh and heartfelt.

* Available from Dar Oktob.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Effendi (الأفندى) by Mohamed Nagui: On the surface, Mohamed Nagui's The Effendi looks like another one of those anger-laden books about the corruption eating contemporary Egypt from the inside out. But delve deeper into this wonderfully realized piece of literature, and you discover that this novel offers much more than that. Nagui uses the by now cliched template of the Egyptian young man who snakes his way up using unethical short-cuts and sleight-of-hand, and turns it over its head by writing something closer to a modern fairytale.

The story revolves around Habib-Allah a.k.a The Effendi, an Egyptian young man from a poor family, who after the death of his mother, and realizing that his aging father will not be able to save Habib from a life of poverty, decides to grab any opportunity that comes his way, no matter how shady it is. He starts to deal in US dollars in the Black Market, with the help of a young woman called Nazek, a pathological liar (who believes her mother was a "blessed woman" who spent all her life fighting a person she refers to as "The Fallen", a mythical creature akin to The Devil), and whom, as life goes on, becomes Habib's mistress. From then on, Habib-Allah begins to rise and rise, doing everything from event-organizing for a rich, spoiled young woman from The Gulf, to making deals with embezzlers to buy cheap land and sell it for tons of money, to, finally, becoming a producer of motion pictures, with the help of a pretentious, elitist wanna-be writer called Fayez.

Although Nagui's prose ranges from sublime to serviceable, his storytelling is hypnotic. His characters - many of which are pretty off-kilter - are vividly drawn, and his plotting is good. But it is his grasp of atmosphere and the strangely beautiful mythical interludes about "The Fallen", that make this novel a rich, singular piece of work.

Rich with symbolism and layered with ideas, this thought-provoking, dark novel about hypocrisy, regret, selling your soul for financial gain and social esteem, and people who spend their lives chasing phantoms, deserves to be savored.

* Available from Dar Al-Hilal.

Book Review: The Palm House (بيت النخيل) by Tarek Eltayeb: I previously reviewed Tarek Eltayeb's first novel, Cities Without Palms, and found it to be a stylish if cliched piece of work. It was the work of a novice storyteller who despite his surprising mastery of sheer storytelling momentum, didn't have a lot to say, and whose plotting was average at best.

Not here, though. With The Palm House, which, according to the author, took seven years to complete, Eltayeb proves himself to be one of the most talented storytellers to come out of Egypt and the Arab world.

The novel, which is a sequel to Cities Without Palms, follows Hamza (the protagonist of Cities Without Palms) as he struggles to survive in Vienna, his latest home. Working as a newspaper vendor, and with only a cat as a housemate, Hamza's life is dull, oppressive, and lonely. But all that changes when he meets Sandra, a young Viennese woman who, after knowing that he used to live in a village filled with palm trees, reveals to him that there is a museum in Vienna called The Palm House, which features nothing but real palms. Together, Hamza and Sandra visit The Palm House and, slowly, begin to fall in love. As their love deepens, Sandra asks Hamza to share his life-story with her. And so Hamza, over the course of three years, tells her his story: His life as a young boy living in a secluded Sudanese village, the death of his family, his pilgrimage to Cairo, his travels around the world, and, finally, his landing in Vienna, looking for sanctuary and a new beginning.

First, let's get this out of the way: This is a melodrama. It is a story filled with tribulations, tragedies, adventures, and triumphs of the human spirit, many of which are far-fetched and held together by coincidence. In the hands of a lesser storyteller, this novel would have been boring and implausible. But Eltayeb isn't such a storyteller. He is a hugely talented writer, whose smooth prose, his obvious love of telling tales (including tall ones), his seamless plotting, and his ability to draw realistic, memorable characters, make this one enjoyable journey. And a journey it is! This novel is filled with quests, travels, confrontations, love-affairs, eccentrics, romantics, and tales within tales, which makes it just a tad too long. But Eltayeb's unique style makes it an effortless read that never lags, and never becomes anything but a joy to go through.

It is a testament to Eltayeb's skills as a writer, that even the cliched ending packs an emotional punch and has a strong bitter-sweet feel to it.

This is a marvelous novel about being a stranger in a strange land, and about lonely people trying to find comfort in each other. But, above all, this is a novel about storytelling, its magic, and its power to heal. Unmissable.

* Available from Al-Hadara Publishing.

Book Review

Book Review: Next To A Man I Know (بجوار رجل أعرفه) by Mohamed Fathy: The winner of the 2009 Sawares Award for Best Short Story Collection, Next To A Man I Know by Mohamed Fathy, is one of the most surprising collections of Egyptian short fiction I've come across in a long while, mainly because of author Fathy's unique style of prose and his mastery of storytelling.

This isn't yet another collection of stories by an angry, young Egyptian writer out to scream and yell and protest. That's not to say that Fathy's stories don't touch upon hot-button topics like the rise of the Religious right in Egypt, unemployment, and repressed sexuality. Fathy's stories are sure to rouse some controversy; maybe even a lot of controversy. But Fathy, unlike many of his contemporaries, doesn't take the the easy way out. His stories are, first and foremost, polished, at times meticulously realised, pieces of storytelling, that almost always succeed at being hard-hitting and entertaining. Highlights include the title story, a shocking tale of child abuse, a topic that's rarely touched upon in Egyptian fiction, Playing with Beshoy, a touching portrayal of friendship, with a disturbing final revelation, the darkly humorous A Taxi and a Sacred Ride, a story about a man who rides a taxi with what he thinks is a prostitute, only to get much more than he bargained for, All that's left, a melancholy psychological drama about a regretful young man who works as a mascot at a children's amusement park, and who laments his lost love, and The Window, a story about masturbation and sexual repression.

This is an unmissable collection of stories by an Egyptian writer who is both daring and subtle, and who (with a few exceptions, like in Whiteness and Hussein Whom . . .) almost never relies on histrionics to get his ideas across. And he manages to achieve something that many Egyptian writers seem unable to: Tell a damn good story.

Book Review

Book Review: My Journey: The Private Memoirs of Mohamed Abdel Wahab (رحلتى: الأوراق الخاصة جدا) edited by Farouk Goweida: Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab has always been a controversial and enigmatic figure. He has been described as an obsessive-compulsive, hypochondriac perfectionist, as well as a radical (and sometimes even a "criminal"), mainly because of his penchant for "westernizing" Arabic music. He was the first Arabic composer to incorporate "Western" String instruments into his arrangements, and he was the first to introduce Rock'n'Roll rhythms into Arabic compositions. His detractors loathed him, and his fans (all around the world) adored him. To this day, he is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century, for bringing Classical Arabic Music to the attention of the world, and because of his internationalist views.

My Journey: The Private Memoirs, gives Art Buffs, musicologists, Abdel Wahab's fans, and even his detractors a chance to know his "true" opinions, and, most importantly, to really get to know the man behind some of the most important musical achievements of the past century.

Abdel Wahab, in his own words, comes off as a complicated, obsessive man, whose only true love in life was his music, which, throughout the book, he calls his "mistress." He comes off as an intelligent, progressive thinker (for the most part, anyway), whose opinions - which, for the most part, he kept to himself - range from logical to shocking. His opinion of women, for example, is sure to ruffle the feathers of feminists, and his political leanings are sure to surprise many (he calls Nasser a deceitful liar who duped the Egyptian public). But, again and again, his love and respect for his art form is the thing that truly shines through. And his undying desire to modernize Arabic music and to merge it with the European principles of "harmony" and "melody," show him to be a true genius, whose passion for music is genuine and contagious. Some of his comments, especially the ones he wrote in his final years, have proven to be prophetic, as he describes the art scene in Egypt as chaotic, fueled by the need to make money not art. He also scolds both the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian public for letting the country's artistic product decline in quality, as he calls the relationship between the audience and the artist a "symbiotic" one: one can't survive without the other.

Although many of Abdel Wahab's comments and opinions are sure to ruffle some feathers, this is a fascinating read which gives readers a rare glimpse inside the mind of one of Egypt's most important artists and, arguably, its most important musician. A must read.

Beware The Stranger: Yes, it's a novel about vampires!

It seems that my plan, to keep the nature of my novel's villain a secret, has been foiled. The novel, Beware The Stranger, has been out since last Christmas, so I guess it was inevitable. The novel's official synopsis, which is available at the novel's website and which has been printed in several Egyptian magazines and newspapers, reads as follows:

"The novel revolves around the adventures of Ahmed and Amr (both 11 Years-Old), two best friends who love horror movies, love hanging out at the mall, but only like school. But their normal lives are turned upside down when one of them receives a warning from an old beggar, a man called Am Abdo, telling him that there is a killer loose on the streets of Cairo, and whom is out to get them. A killer who might not be human, but a monster who comes out at night, looking for blood!"

Yes. I know that the mention of a monster out looking for blood sort of gives a big clue. But, you see, I didn't want it known that the main villain of the novel is a vampire. Why? Because of a couple of things, really.

For one thing, the vampire fiction of late has been mostly awful, especially vampire fiction for Young Adults. You have manipulative, unimaginative dreck like the Twilight series, and numerous stories about teens turning into vampires and becoming tortured superheroes. To me, that's not the way vampires should be depicted. Vampire stories that I loved reading while growing up, the ones that stand the test of time - like Bram Stoker's Dracula, in which the grand daddy of all vampires is depicted as a monstrous, merciless creature of the night, whose nature is sadistic and who lacks any redeeming qualities - retain an ageless ability to haunt readers' nightmares decades, sometimes even centuries, after the novel is first published, mainly because of how memorably frightening the vampires/monsters in these stories are. Although I did like some of Anne Rice's novels about the anti-hero vampire Lestat, I could only bear them in small doses, and to me, they were never really frightening (well, maybe the first novel in the saga, Interview With The Vampire, was somewhat scary and disturbing).

The vampire in my book, Nina, is a monster. She abducts women and children, and traps them to feed on their blood. She is conniving, ruthless and, beneath her guise as a woman, looks like something out of a really bad nightmare. She scared the hell out of me when I was writing the book, and, hopefully, she scared readers as well.

During my book-signing tour (Beware! The Tour), I never mentioned that Beware The Stranger was, to some extent, a vampire novel; mainly because I think it is much more than that. It is more of a dark fantasy novel than a vampire novel, but, according to readers' emails, it is scary, even too scary for some children.

After getting emails from readers telling me that the novel is, according to them, a scary, vampire/horror novel, and that that should be made clear to readers, especially since the novel is marketed toward Young Adults, I decided to do just that by writing this piece.

So, I declare that Beware The Stranger is a vampire novel. There. It's done.

So, if you are between the ages of 10 and a 110, and you would like to read a story about vampires that are scary, monstrous and might give you nightmares, instead of reading about heart-throb vampires who are torn between loving helpless maidens or drinking their blood, read Beware The Stranger, you might like it.

- Beware The Stranger is available to buy in Egypt from these stores. For readers outside Egypt, it is available to buy from from Amazon Kindle, or from the publisher.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Search (الطريق) by Naguib Mahfouz: Reviewing any piece of work by Naguib Mahfouz is a risky proposition. His work is both loved and over-analyzed; both cherished and reviled (yes, to this day, there are some people, especially Uber-Conservative Egyptians, who consider his work to be "immoral," due to Mahfouz's unflinching eye when it comes to describing some of the seedier aspects of Egyptian life). I have already attempted to review one of my favorite books of his, Midaq Alley (زقاق المدق). And I am going to try once more, with another of my favorites, The Search (الطريق).

The Search is, far and away, Mahfouz's most noirish work. The story of Saber, the son of a prostitute, who is forced, after his mother's death, to search for his absentee father, whom his mother claims is an "Egyptian gentleman" who will able to save him from an ugly life of pimping and petty-crime, is chock-full of all the main ingredients of livre-noir: The troubled anti-hero with a sordid past, the search for something elusive that promises salvation, the femme-fatale, and the overpowering sense of doom. Although Naguib Mahfouz's tales almost always have a norish bent, The Search is, arguably, his most obvious attempt at writing a piece of vintage noir. The sharp, hard-hitting dialogue, the descriptions of Cairo by night, the extremely complex character of Saber, who, throughout the tale, struggles with his own demons and penchant for violence and crime, the fast-pace, the downbeat, borderline nihilistic ending, all combine to make this a masterpiece of crime fiction, similar to the best works of James M. Cain.

A somewhat lesser-known part of his oeuvre, The Search is a fascinating novel that showcases Mahfouz at his most stylistically daring, and is a must for fans of livre-noir.

Book Review: Cities Without Palms (مدن بلا نخيل) by Tarek Eltayeb: Cities Without Palms by Tarek Eltayeb is an example of style over substance. The story (about a young Sudanese man who leaves his drought-stricken village and embarks on a journey to find money to support his family) is cliched, the plotting just about average, and the characters, although memorable, are not meticulously drawn. But its stylishness saves it. Author Eltayeb's style of prose and his superb command of pacing, turns this simple, ordinary tale into a compelling, fast-paced novella that is hard to put down once you start reading it. Also, Eltayaeb's masterful grasp of atmosphere and his ability to vividly describe a place with just a few well-chosen words, is in itself a marvel. And like all good writers, he makes it look easy, when really it isn't.

I for one can't wait to delve deeper into this writer's body of work (this is his first novel, originally published in 1992), which consists of several novels and short story collections, one of which is House Of Palms (بيت النخيل), a sequel to this novel. On its own, Cities Without Palms is a quick, enjoyable read, that promises great things to come.

Book Review

Book Review: A Matter of Time (مسألة وقت) by Montasser El Qafash: The winner of the 2009 Sawares Award for Best Work of Literature, A Matter of Time is a novel that is hard to review. It has an intriguing premise: a young man, who works as a part-time tutor to university students, has a one-night stand with one of his students, only to discover a little while later that she had died three hours before coming to his apartment and sleeping with him. Baffled, the young man, who feels he is just coasting through life, starts an investigation into the young woman's past, which leads him to a friend of hers, a young woman named Nahed, who claims to have also been visited by the young woman's apparition.

Author Montasser El Qafash uses this central plot-line more or less as a McGuffin to delve deeper into his characters' lives and psyches. And herein lies the problem. His characters are pretty aimless, which I understand is intentional, since the whole novella seems to be a study of what happens to regular people, leading ordinary, mundane lives, when they are confronted by something that challenges their sense of reality. But aimless characters leading aimless lives don't make for a very gripping read. Which is not to say that this novel is bad. Far from it. It's atmospheric, stylishly written, and has a fascinating premise. But one can't help but feel that it would have made a great short story. As a novel, even a short one, it seems overlong and, ultimately, underwhelming.

Book Review

Book Review: Solo Piano Music (عزف منفرد على البيانو) by Fawaz Haddad: This masterful psychological thriller is like no other Arabic book I've ever come across. It combines aspects of the spy genre, the Jamesian Psychological drama, with thought-provoking existentialism, to produce a fine, ambitious thriller.

The plot - revolving around a secular Syrian writer and government official who, after getting attacked and beaten by a mysterious figure and becoming a sort of a celebrity, is entangled in a complex plot involving negotiations between the Syrian Government and Extremist Islamists - is layered, and at times dizzyingly complex. But author Fawaz Haddad's grasp of his characters, especially the protagonist, Fateh, that makes the reader want to tag along for this long and complicated journey. And a journey it is. Featuring a myriad of complex characters, shadowy goings-on, flashbacks and political intrigue, this isn't the easiest of reads. But Haddad's smooth prose, meticulous plotting, a fascinating supporting character (Selim, the enigmatic counter-terrorism agent), and a hell of a twist ending, all combine to make this a thriller worth spending some time and energy with. Highly Recommended.

Book Review

Book Review: Cat's Eyes (عين القط) by Hassan Abd El Maugoud: I stumbled upon this stylish little novella when I was browsing the Contemporary Arabic Fiction section in one of my favorite bookstores, and, I hate to admit, was attracted by its cover. I read the synopsis on the backcover and bought it on a whim. It was a good decision.

The novella tells the tale of a young boy - referred to throughout the novella only as Qot or Cat - living in a village in Upper Egypt with his conservative family, and who believes he can Astral-Project every night and inhabit the body of any stray cat. This allows him to prowl the village at night, sneak into houses undetected, and learn the village inhabitant's darkest secrets. Author Hassan Abd El Maugoud uses this intriguing premise as a launching pad for clever socio-political commentary, painting a not very pretty picture of living in a village in Egypt, which stands in for Egypt itself; a place which, as depicted in the story, is rife with corruption, bullies, unscrupulous politicians and sexual repression.

Although at times the pace becomes annoyingly frenetic, this short novella is filled to the brim with ideas and memorable characters, and the author's smooth, unpretentious style is addictive. A compelling, stylish read.

P.S. This novella has won the Saweris Award (2nd place) for outstanding first novel.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Soloman's Ring (خاتم سليمان) by Sherif Meleika: Every once in a while, I come across a book that gives me hope for Egyptian literature. Despite the amount of literary junk that Egyptian writers have been producing this past decade (most of it pretentious, hypocritical non-fiction), there are some books out there that give one, as a reader as well as an Egyptian, hope that Egyptian writers still have masterpieces hidden under their sleeves. Mansoura Ezz El Din's Maryam's Maze is one such masterpiece. Soloman's Ring by Sherif Meleika is another.

This is a book that is admirable in its ambitiousness, hypnotic in its storytelling, elegant in its style, and, above all, one hell of a well-told story. Blending fact and fiction, real characters with fictitious ones (Gamal Abdel Nasser himself has a minor role in this tale), the story revolves around an Egyptian Jew named Dawood, whose life is turned upside down after the Military Coup d'etat and Nasser takes over as the first Egyptian President. After the jubilation and the first rays of hope die down, Dawood discovers that he's not welcome in his own country anymore, because he is a Jew. Meleika's novel dissects the Egyptian psyche, Nasser's and Sadat's regimes (warts and all), and the dual nature of War (it unites people under a cause, yet it reveals the ugliness and the weaknesses hidden within, which are only revealed under duress). Meleika also weaves a mythic thread into the tale, with a subplot involving a silver ring - hence the title of the novel - that Dawood buys from an old merchant, and which, seemingly, has mystical powers. Meleika uses the ring as a sort of McGuffin, a talisman that several characters, with various motives, want to wield in times of trouble. Arguably, the ring stands for clinging on to a straw during hard times, and for the power of faith, as well.

Spanning four decades of Egyptian history, with numerous characters and plot-lines, this a sweeping, ambitious, stylish novel, that is waiting to be discovered, read and analyzed; even if, at times, it becomes too sprawling for its own good. A masterpiece of modern Egyptian literature.

Book Review: The Waves of Autumn (أمواج الخريف) by Na'iem Sabry: This deceptively simple novel is a joy to read. With a straight-forward style, ebullient storytelling, and a masterful descriptive ability, writer Naiem Sabry does wonders with a cliched, simple plot. A sixty-year old artist vacationing in Rodos, Greece, discovers a new side to his personality when he decides to have an affair with a fellow traveler. But along with this newly found passion, he also discovers a hidden, lingering sense of regret buried deep within himself. He tries to confront himself and his weaknesses by seizing the day and making one daring choice after another, in an attempt to bring change into his life. But he discovers that change comes at a price. I couldn't tell you anymore of the plot, as it would be unfair to you and to the novel, which is brilliantly written and always one step ahead of the reader.

This novel, which reads like a collaboration between Henry James and Egyptian novelist Youssef El Seba'ey, is a touching, well-plotted tale, right down to its sad and darkly humorous ending.

Book Review

Book Review: The Song Of Solomon (نشيد الإنشاد) by Amir Ramses: The literary debut of Egyptian filmmaker Amir Ramses, The Song of Solomon is a stylish, heartfelt, and enjoyable piece of literary fiction. Focusing on a love triangle between the three central characters - Beatrice, a free-spirited young French woman, Osama, an Egyptian free-lance photographer who is both in love with Beatrice and Paris, and Salam, a Sufi

singer visiting paris for a series of concerts - this is a tale that, thanks to Ramses's smooth prose and his ability to draw realistic, endearing characters, is hopelessly romantic, beautifully sensual, and hauntingly atmospheric. For a first-time novelist, Rames surprisingly has a sharp sense of place; his descriptions of Paris, its people, streets, shops and bars, are wonderfully evocative without being long-winded, and despite a cliched ending and mostly stilted dialogue, this is a memorable and touchingly romantic novel, that is both modernist and reminiscent of classic romantic fiction.

Book Reviews

Book Review: A Black Body Bag and other stories
(كيس أسود مخصص للأزبال) by Khodeir Meirry: One of the most under-appreciated Iraqi writers of contemporary fiction, Khodeir Meirry reaches new heights with this collection of short stories. From the bleak and strikingly graphic title story, about a young widow who goes to receive her son's corpse from Abu Ghareib prison and receives it in a plastic garbage bag, to the haunting delirium of The Hashish Tree, to the frightening portrayal of insanity and violence that is A Chant called Dodo, these stories encompass a wide range of emotions, yet focus, almost exclusively, on minds on the edge of collapse, on people whose inner demons are tearing them apart and whose sanity is about to give way to memories better left buried.
Despite Meirry's verbose style, the stories are fast paced and tightly-plotted. And although all his characters are more or less ravaged by the violence of war, Meirry is more interested in damaged psyches than in politics, resulting in stories that are nightmarish, surreal, terrifying, and, most importantly, possess a dark beauty that is rarely found in modern Arabic fiction. Highly recommended.

Book Review: Magaessee (المجسى) by Hagag Odoul: Nubian author Hagag Odoul, better known nowadays for his political writings, surprises and shocks with this novella, Magassee, a tale of werewolves, black magic and violence.
Telling the tale of a battle between two young warriors, one a kind-hearted young man who is out to unite his tribe and vanquish the evil that is threatening his clan, the other, the Magaessee of the title, is an evil shape-shifter, empowered by his ability to wield dark magic and change into a demonic werewolf.
Pulpy, nasty, violent and oversexed, this strange but stylish tale is a must for fans of weird fiction, and fans of fast-paced, purely plot-driven horror stories.

Book Review: The Tale of The Old Man Whom Whenever Dreams of a City , Dies There , and other stories ( حكاية رجل عجوز كلما حلم بمدينة . . مات فيها) by Tareq Imam: A new book by Tareq Imam, one of the most stylish and promising young Egyptian writers, means one thing. A non-stop reading binge.
Refining his style even more, Imam delivers 17 short stories (and some of them are indeed short, like Before we came to be, which is only a page long) that take you on a dark journey through nightmares, joys, pains, visions and revelations. Highlights include The City of Drowned Ghosts, a fine, hallucinatory, ghost story; Black Angel, an atmospheric, haunting, story, in which Imam manages to accomplish in one page what many authors fail to in a novel; and Moving, a superbly written, disturbing tale, about a female puppet master, who is, well, much more than that.
Reminiscent of some of the best works of Poe and Bradbury, yet stunningly original in their own right, these stories are a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that Imam is a singular talent to be reckoned with.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Picasso's Fate ( مصير بيكاسو) by Mohamed Al 'Oun: Novels about writers are a dime a dozen; novels about Egyptian writers are few and mostly mediocre; good novels about Egyptian writers are almost non-existent. Therefore, Picasso's Fate by Mohamed El 'Awn should be cherished, read, then re-read. Yes, it's that good.

Revolving around the adventures of a lower/middle-class young man living in Cairo, his journey through several menial jobs, and his ambition to become a good writer, Picasso's Fate is an Egyptian novel of a rare breed. A novel that is deeply touching, realistic, funny, sad, yet ultimately uplifting, and one that lacks the bitter cynicism that seems to plague every other Egyptian novel about living in modern Cairo.

With good dialogue, believable characters, a compelling, straight-forward, almost minimalist style, this, the first novel by El 'Awn, promises good things to come from a new, singular, voice, and is one of the best novels about what being a writer in Egypt is really like. Highly recommended.

Book Review: The Genetic Maps Room ( حجرة الخرائط الجينية) by Islam Nada: Coming out of nowhere, this sweeping, fun, intelligent Science-Fiction novel for Young Adults is a treat. The plot - which revolves around a group of super-intelligent children genetically engineered to near-perfection, and chosen to live in a secret city that houses the world's greatest minds and works for the benefit of humanity - is high on imagination and takes place in a wonderfully appealing and thrillingly dangerous universe, integrating magic, djin, and demons into the Sci-Fi mix, and therefore delivering an entertaining Sci-Fi/fantasy epic for readers of all ages. Unmissable.

P.S. This novel is the first part of a trilogy, with the second installment (The Deadly Curse) already out!

Book Review

Book review: Ghost stories Volume II: The Memoirs of a Psychiatrist ( حكايات الأشباح الجزء الثانى: يوميات طبيب نفسى) by Ola Barakat: Following her interesting, but hit and miss first collection of horror stories, Egyptian writer Ola Barakat delivers the goods with the second volume. Starting with the stylish and tremendously chilling interrelated stories The Memoirs of an insane woman and the title story, this collection takes the reader on a ride through the scary depths of Egyptian folklore and mythology, giving the stories a modern twist that makes them feel fresh.

With stories focusing on the Baron Palace, Djin, hauntings and insanity, this is a fine collection of Egyptian horror stories, written in Barakat's straightforward style, which makes it a quick and easy read, yet one filled with memorable imagery.

Can't wait for her to write a novel!

Book Review

Book Review: Pardon me and other fears (أعذرينى و مخاوف أخرى) : There seems to be a horror literature renaissance taking place in Egypt. With more and more horror titles coming out every month, it isn't an overstatement to say that Egyptian horror fiction is alive and well. Pardon me and other fears, a collection of horror short stories by up and coming Egyptian writers, is one of the best of these titles.

With more than a dozen writers contributing to this collection, the reader is exposed to a myriad of styles. Some of the stories contained here are good, some are mediocre, but, mostly, they are all interesting, and sometimes even superb.

From Shaimaa El Sioufy's title story about a painter haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, to Hanan Abdel Ghafar's Liberation, a disturbing tale about the deadly wrath of a woman scorned, to Abdel Aziz Abo El Mirath's hallucinatory Night tales, which is made up of seemingly unrelated nightmarish vignettes, to the closing tale, Ismail Khaled Wahdan's clever The monsters of our city, this collection covers almost all of the standard plot devices (monsters, ghosts, demons, vampires . . .) and then some.

If this is any indication of things to come, then Egyptian horror sure has a bright future ahead of it.