Palace Walk
About the book
The first volume of the Cairo Trilogy follows a family in colonial Egypt.
Original title: Bayn al-Qasrayn
Africa · A READING GUIDE
Egypt
Naguib Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy follows several generations of the Abd al-Jawad family. Nawal El Saadawi and Latifa al-Zayyat connect women’s lives with personal and social freedom. Sonallah Ibrahim portrays a former prisoner, while Alaa Al Aswany builds a social cross-section around a Cairo apartment building. Bahaa Taher turns to Upper Egypt and relations between Muslims and Christians.
WHERE TO START
- Palace WalkNaguib Mahfouz
- Woman at Point ZeroNawal El Saadawi
- The Open DoorLatifa al-Zayyat
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
Palace of Desire
About the book
The Cairo Trilogy's second volume follows further changes in the Abd al-Jawad family.
Original title: Qasr al-Shawq
Sugar Street
About the book
The Cairo Trilogy's finale follows the next generation's diverging political choices.
Original title: Al-Sukkariyya
Woman at Point Zero
About the book
Firdaus, awaiting execution, recounts violence, work and the pursuit of independence.
Original title: Imra’a inda nuqtat al-sifr
The Open Door
About the book
Layla's coming of age connects women's emancipation with Egypt's struggle for political freedom.
Original title: Al-Bab al-Maftuh
That Smell & Notes from Prison
About the book
A narrator released from prison tries to navigate surveillance and alienation.
Original title: Tilka al-ra’iha
The Yacoubian Building
About the book
The residents of one Cairo building form a cross-section of society divided by class and power.
Original title: Imarat Yaqubyan
Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery
About the book
A story of revenge and refuge in a monastery explores Muslim-Coptic relations.
Original title: Khalati Safiyya wa-l-dayr
Children of the Alley
About the book
The history of a Cairo alley becomes a parable of power and humanity’s spiritual history.
Midaq Alley
About the book
The inhabitants of a Cairo alley face their desires and social change.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
- Autor i kontekst literacki / Author and literary context ↗
- Naguib Mahfouz — Anchor ↗
- Naguib Mahfouz — Anchor ↗
- Nawal El Saadawi — Zed Books ↗
- Latifa al-Zayyat — The American University in Cairo Press ↗
- Sonallah Ibrahim — New Directions ↗
- Alaa Al Aswany — HarperCollins ↗
- Bahaa Taher — University of California Press ↗
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