Egyptian Earth

A twelve-year
old boy returns to his village from school in Cairo to find the community torn
by feud and fear. A corrupt official has decreed the fields must be irrigated
in five days, instead of the customary ten - a demand that threatens to disrupt
the economy and life of the whole village. But rebellion is contrary to their
traditional attitude of servility and easy-going natures. It takes many
attempts - some disastrous, others comical and touching - before they can
organise anything like an effective resistance. Working together, the young and old men and women in the village discover that if you
are faithful to the land, it will care for you.

Egyptian Earth was first published in 1954, when almost one million Egyptians besieged President Nasser in Abdin
Palace, protesting the military dictatorship and demanding land reforms. An epic drama of great power, this
compassionate and humorous tale of defiance is a masterpiece of modern Arabic
literature.

About the author

Abdel Rahman al-Sharqawi (1920–1987) was born into a peasant family in the Egyptian province of Menoufia. He became widely known after the publication of his novel Egyptian Earth in 1954. His work is celebrated for its realism and commitment to social issues of the day. Al-Sharqawi founded the progressive journal Al-Katib and received the State Appreciation Award in Literature by the Egyptian government.
Desmond Stirling Stewart was a British writer and journalist who worked for many years in Baghdad, Beirut, and Cairo. He wrote a number of books about Egyptian and Arabic culture and history, as well as several novels.

Product details

• Authors: Abdel Rahman Al-Sharqawi, Al-Sharqawi Abdel Rahman
• Assisted by: Desmond Stewart (Translation), Stewart Desmond (Translation), Desmond Stirling Stewart (Translation)
• Publisher: Saqi Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.06.2024
• EAN: 9780863569685
• ISBN: 978-0-86356-968-5
• No. of pages: 256
• Series: Saqi Bookshelf
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Freedom, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), FICTION / Literary, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Human Rights, Egypt, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African, Political oppression & persecution, Political oppression and persecution, Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary