On International Women’s Day, we wanted to do things a little bit differently. We thought we’d introduce you to some female names that are worthy of acknowledgment, especially in the literary field.
Women who are not currently trending. Women who usually shy away from the spotlight. Women who may have been overshadowed by the male-writers of their generation.
Without any further ado, meet the 5 Egyptian female authors you may or may not have heard of, but who surely helped shape the female narrative in Egyptian literature.
Sahar El Mougy
An award-winning Egyptian novelist, university professor and psychoanalysis drama trainer. El Mougy won the Cavafy prize for literature in 2007 and the Sharjah Women’s Club Award in 1999.
But most recently she was able to attain the 2019 Sawiris Cultural Award for her novel The Hill’s Musk. El Mougy’s 2008 “Noun” or “She” is surely her most celebrated novel. “The Lady of the Dreams”, “Little Deities” and “Daryah” are also among her amazing published collection.
Iman Mersal
An Egyptian poet born in the Northern Delta. She became a published poet when she was only in high school. “A Dark Passageway Suitable for Learning to Dance” or “Mamarr Mu’tim Yasluh li Ta’allum al-Raqs” is her widely celebrated second book. But she’s also popular for “Ittisafat”, “El Mashy Atwal Waqt Momken” and “How to Mend Motherhood and Its Ghosts”.
Miral El Tahawy
An Egyptian novelist and short-story writer who is now an academic professor in the University States. What defined Miral’s early writings is the fact that she comes from a Bedouin background. We highly recommend El Tahawy’s two books “Brooklyn Heights’‘ and “Tent”, they’re really special reads.
Nagwa Shaaban
The late Egyptian novelist and translator who passed away in 2019 was a chameleon. She was actively interested in many art forms. But her published literary work surely gained a lot of regional and international acclaim. “El Ghour” and “Nawat El-Karam” are among her most popular works.
Salwa Bakr
Egyptian critic, novelist, journalist and author. She’s a multiple award winner and a highly celebrated name in the Egyptian cultural society. We recommend you give her novel “The Man from Bashmour” a go. It didn’t win multiple awards for no reason.
