Off-Screen
"From Egypt" attempts to draw a cultural map of Egypt and the Arab world by profiling the artistic, literary, and political issues that affect the region via on-the-ground coverage of current events, publications, and the fight for freedom of expression.

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Hamdy El-Gazzar is an Egyptian writer and one of the 39 young Arab writers included in the Beirut 39 Project. His first novel, Sihr Aswad (Dar Merit, 2005) won the prestigious Sawaris Award, and was subsequently translated by Humphrey Davies (Black Magic, AUC Press, 2007). His second novel, Ladhdhat Sirriyya (Secret Pleasures) was published by Dar al-Dar in 2008. He is currently working on a third novel.
  • Egyptian President Morsi on May 13, 2012. Photo: Youtube user MEMRITVVideos.
    The Egyptian Intellectual Constitution
    by Hamdy El-Gazzar / August 27, 2012

    Following Egypt’s revolution, many forces have been working towards a new constitution for the country. Hamdy El-Gazzar highlights a group of intellectuals and artists who have created a “Cultural Constitution” to preserve intellectual freedom.

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  • Khalid Khalifa
    In Praise of Love
    by Hamdy El-Gazzar / August 13, 2012

    In this week’s From Egypt column, author Hamdy El-Gazzar writes an open letter to his friend Khalid Khalifa, a Syrian novelist who recently returned to war-torn Syria. Khalifa has issued calls to writers and the international community to “Rescue my people.”

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Fearless, Ink.