Zeina - Softcover

A poignant and brave writer’ Marie Claire

Nawal El Saadawi is a formidable force in the international world of literature.’ Philip Womack, New Humanist
Bodour, a distinguished literary critic, carries with her a dark secret. As a young university student, she fell in love with a political activist and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo.

Zeina grows up to become one of Egypt’s most beloved entertainers, despite being deprived of a family name and a home. Bodour in turn remains trapped in a loveless marriage, pining for her daughter and lost love. In an attempt to find solace, she writes a fictionalised account of her life, which then mysteriously gets stolen.

Set against the backdrop of revolution in Cairo, Zeina is a tale about regret, loss and the courage it takes for a mother to face up to the mistakes of her past.

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‘A poignant and brave writer’ Marie Claire

‘Nawal El Saadawi is a formidable force in the international world of literature.’ Philip Womack, New Humanist
Bodour, a distinguished literary critic, carries with her a dark secret. As a young university student, she fell in love with a political activist and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo.

Zeina grows up to become one of Egypt’s most beloved entertainers, despite being deprived of a family name and a home. Bodour in turn remains trapped in a loveless marriage, pining for her daughter and lost love. In an attempt to find solace, she writes a fictionalised account of her life, which then mysteriously gets stolen.

Set against the backdrop of revolution in Cairo, Zeina is a tale about regret, loss and the courage it takes for a mother to face up to the mistakes of her past.

Nawal El Saadawi: Nawal El Saadawi is an internationally renowned Egyptian writer, feminist and psychiatrist. Her works have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Amira Nowaira: Amira Nowaira is currently Professor of English Literature at Alexandria University, Egypt, She has published extensively in various fields including English, Arabic and comparative literature, Arab women’s writing and translation. She is a co-editor of Women Writing Africa: The Northern Region (The Feminist Press February 2009).