By Sara Rifaat
Photo Credit: Khaled Zohny
The 4 books-old and a million experiences-wise, Ahmed Mourad needs to purchase a new shelf to carry all the awards. If you’re interested in finding out how many languages Ahmed Mourad’s books were translated into, or how many copies were sold out (which is a lot by the way) you should google that, because this isn’t just about the achievements, it’s about the brilliant mindset behind the achievements. I sat down with Mourad, whose multiple jobs never required writing a CV, to create him the weirdest CV ever.
Writer’s note: Due to out of hand-circumstances, I walked late into this interview expecting the universal-very busy-writer to kill me, but instead he was unbelievably nice. Aside from the brilliance I encountered while featuring this man, I had to note that he is very humanly.
Ahmed Mourad’s CV 
Full Name: Ahmed Sayed Abdel-Kerim Mourad
Age: 38
Marital Status: Married and a father of two girls (Fatma & Rokaya)
Education:
You failed fourth primary and third secondary (Lycee’ School); we certainly all do understand the later, but fourth primary?
–Actually, it all started when a video store opened in the neighborhood…I was crazy about movies so I used to rent movies (1L.E for each) and watch them all the time. In third secondary, I failed physics and math. I hardly could do something that I didn’t love.
Our country doesn’t grant anyone a high school graduation certificate except after writing a trillion essays about “spring season” and “The 6th of October war”; did that serve your writing career in any way?
-*laughs* I do remember numerously writing about the Governorate’s national day; I used to dig for new angles to kill the monotonousness.
Talk briefly about your family (How did your mom help you start reading?)
When all the kids were crazy about PlayStation, my mom said no we won’t buy that because it’s 120-LE-expensive and it would be better to buy you books to fill your time. You really do get affected by what you’re raised to see your parents do. My mother used to read the Holy Qur2an and all sorts of books; she loved listening to Abdel-Halim and Om Kalthom. I grew up with that syndrome nesting in my head.
Careers:
–Graphic Design/Applied Arts:
–I studied applied arts for one year before I dropped out and joined the cinema institute.
-Photography: For 10 years you worked as the private photographer of former president Hosni Mubarak, How where you able to publish your first book (Vertigo) while you worked under the ruler’s roof given the fact that the novel criticizes the corruption of politicians and businessmen prevalent during the Mubarak era?
Seriously! Weren’t you at least scared?
–For my own sake, they didn’t read. At some point in life, you realize you either venture or you won’t and you’ll live in uninterrupted peace. But when I thought about it I realized that I wouldn’t forgive myself if I kept the literary accumulation I had bottled up inside to myself when I could just get it out and erupt an intellectual revolution in people’s minds. I thought of who I would be ten years later; I’d be balder with a protruding belly, a higher salary, a car and maybe another kid. But that wasn’t it. A fingerprint was missing.
-Writing: Would you limit your readers to a certain age? Would you say that only a certain age can comprehend what you offer? (Like those +25)?
–At a book signing event once, a 12 year old kid asked me to sign “The blue elephant” for him. I asked him for whom was it, “your mom or your dad?” He said “No, for me”. Meaning that I can’t decide the limitations of anyone’s mind. Actually, I’m waiting for my own daughter to read my books, but I am afraid that when she does, she’d tell me what is this shit? *laughs*
*I take out my own copies of Mourad’s books and I make him sign them all*
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Nonacademic experiences
-During the 10 years of working at the presidential palace, I travelled to 39 countries (without repetition), and I entered the presidential palace in China.
Being the president’s personal photographer determined that I meet prominent figures like Obama, Alkazafy, and Bashar Elasaad back in 2003.
For the sake of impersonating the characters I write about
–I learned how to play poker, I learned all about DMT, drugs and I sat with bar tenders to find out about alcohol types. (I don’t drink by the way)
–I studied human’s body language; it comes handy when I want to know who’s bored at seminars. However, the hard part about studying body language is that you have to know when to shut it down, because it will disturb you to find out that a lot of the people are lying to your face. For instance, the friend you are sitting with who says he’ll head home, is lying, the guy selling you something on the street is lying about the price, the taxi driver is lying, your neighbor is lying… So you have to shut it down at some point to live.
–I got into “8 Gharb” in Abasseya hospital. I saw the isolation rooms, I attended sessions with patients, and I heard their stories.
–My cousin is a medical representative. I used to follow him around, write down the medical expressions he says, find out about medicines, detect what he wears and how he holds his bag. And I once spent four hours in a morgue.
Behind the scenes of each Novel (Things people don’t know)
-Vertigo: What’s common between me and Ahmed Kamal (The protagonist) is the work struggle. While in high school I covered as a photographer all sorts of events (engagements, weddings…etc.) and then later in college I worked in advertisements and in movies, I struggled to make my own money. Even though my dad was there, I wasn’t the dependent type. Simply, I wanted to go out with a girl and pay a 10 L.E-minimum charge from my own money *laughs*
-The blue Elephant (Elfeel elazra2): All Yehia’s dreams are my own dreams. I used to have those dreams (the black dog and the insects) while I read in that dark side. So I’d dream, then wake up and write it all down.
*My eyes widen* could that have made you lose your mind?
No, actually I walked out of this experience very brave, to the extent that the apartment above ours has been empty for years, but my wife and I keep hearing these voices. So each night she’d stay up and I would sleep and snort like it’s not there.
What makes you think that you weren’t imagining those voices?
Definitely, the fact that we can’t be both imagining *laughs*
-Diamond Dust (Torab Elmass): While revising this novel, I was worried about how people would react to it, to the extent that I lost my appetite. My immunity weakened, got a virus in my lungs and took the wrong antibiotics so I got a blood virus and went to the hospital. I was technically dead.
– 1919: Only 10% of 1919 is historically true. I wrote about people that history books only mentioned in 2 lines, and I had to build an entire infrastructure. I read Saad Zaghlol’s 6,000 pages journal; the detailed journal noted everything starting from what Saad had for breakfast.
Personal protocol:
– Stillness is deadly: Back when I was just a beginner, Dr. Sonallah Ibrahim called me when he read Vertigo. He said “I am Sonallah Ibrahim” and I was like “Oh okay, and I am Amr Diab” *laughs* but that actually turned out to be the real Sonallah Ibrahim and not a prank. Back then I really needed someone to help me, and he did. For that, I am obligated to help and declare all my information and sources to those who want to know. This forces me to evolve and not stand in one spot forever.
A Challenge:
I’ll show you a photo of a family, and you’ll tell me a way to penetrate this family, make them your target audience and somehow make their home have an Ahmed Mourad book on the living room table.
I’ll target the father, because the mother is caught up with two kids at a very troubled age. They look like they are in an average social standard; they can most probably relate to the idea of metaphysics, so I’d give him The Blue Elephant as a gift. It’ll start occupying his thinking, so maybe he’ll lay off and stop asking her to cook for him. *laughs* Gradually, he’ll start telling her about the new novel that has been provoking his mind before they go to bed, and while they sit for dinner…consequently the kids will hear about it. This way the kids will have a starting point for the launching of a new reading habit. I know best that you do what you grow up to find your parents do!
And if you have to give Naguib Mahfouz a book of yours, which one would it be?
–If I meet him, I’d take a photo with him, sit and listen to him, take notes then I’d make him wait a long life before I give him any of my writings. Because I haven’t written the novel that I would give him just yet.
Things I’d never write in my CV:
-My main flaw: I’m hardly ever satisfied; I’m always seeking something better
-Father Task: When your daughter asks you about adult matters, do you shut her down, or do you explain it to her? For example, if she heard about America legalizing gay marriage, how would you explain that to her?
–Since the elder one is only 10, she’s unaware of the normal marriage process just yet. I would explain it to her like it’s a simple legal procedure; that the man has to eventually marry the woman. And that a man marrying another man would be as bizarre as wearing trousers on top of trousers instead of a t-shirt and trousers.
Do you tell your daughters bed time stories?
–Well yeah, scary bedtime stories actually; I intend to shock them so they are forced to think. Fear is essential for kids…it helps broaden their minds and provokes their imagination.
You said: “The hardest thing a writer ever has to do is to decide whether to direct the drama right or left”
-How many times do you write the endings of your stories?
–Normally, each novel has two endings and then the evil one wins over.
-So what would be the alternative ending for Ahmed kira’s life (a character in Ahmed Mourad’s 1919)
-Ahmed Kira eventually quits the revolution and is able to find peace with Ward (his lover). Actually, that’s the ending I’d wanted for him, to actually get to live.
If I would add anything to my CV, it would be that I’m not the heroes of my novels. I’m not Ahmed Kamal, Yehia, Taha or Ahmed Kira. After writing The Blue Elephant, at every single seminar I’d get cunning looks of “You little devil” or as they call it over here “ya nems” *laughs*, like I’m the womanizer who masters poker, take drugs, and drinks the finest wine. I don’t even smoke. I learned all about that, only to write Yehia, not to be Yehia.
