Samia Mehrez is professor of Arabic literature in the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilization and director of the Center for Translation Studies at the American University in Cairo. She is the author of Egyptian Writers between History and Fiction: Essays on Naguib Mahfouz, Sonallah Ibrahim, and Gamal al-Ghitani (AUC Press, pb edition 2005) and Egypt’s Culture Wars: Politics and Practice.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Cairo Mother of Cities1. Prelude: Entering the City VictoriousMuhammad al-Muwailihi, A Period of Time: A Study and Translation of Hadith ‘Isa ibn HishamNaguib Mahfouz, Children of the AlleyKhairy Shalaby, The Time-Travels of the Man Who Sold Picklesand Sweets2. Mapping Cairo 25Naguib Mahfouz, Midaq AlleyNaguib Mahfouz, Khan al-KhaliliIsmail Wali al-Din, Hammam al-MalatiliMahmoud Al-Wardani, Heads Ripe for PluckingYahya Hakki, The Lamp of Umm HashimMuhammad Galal, Mounira DaysMay al-Telmissany, HeliopolisNabil Naoum Gorgy, Cairo Is a Small CityRadwa Ashour, A Piece of EuropeMidhat Gazalé, Pyramids RoadChafika Hamamsy, Zamalek: The Changing Life of a Cairo Elite, 1850–1945Naguib Mahfouz, Midaq AlleyYusuf Idris, The SirenKhairy Shalaby, Wedding ThiefSonallah Ibrahim, SharafYasser Abdel-Latif, The Law of InheritanceMay Khaled, The Last Seat in Ewart HallRadwa Ashour, A Piece of EuropeIbrahim Farghali, The Smiles of the SaintsNaim Sabri, District SevenM.M. Tawfik, Murder in the Tower of HappinessMustafa Zikri, What Amin Did Not KnowYusuf Idris, The Dregs of the CityIbrahim Aslan, The HeronHani Abdel-Mourid, Kyrie EleisonHamdi Abu Golayyel, Thieves in RetirementGamal al-Ghitani, The Guardian of the ShrineSalwa Bakr, Thirty-one Beautiful Green TreesShehata al-Erian, The Women of OthersHamdy al-Gazzar, Black MagicOmar Taher, Looks Like It’s BustedAhmed Khaled Tawfik, UtopiaIbrahim Issa, Nationalist Ghosts3. Public Spaces 151Gamal al-Ghitani, Pyramid TextsSonallah Ibrahim, Cairo from Edge to EdgeIsmail Wali al-Din, Hammam al-MalatiliNaguib Mahfouz, Khan al-KhaliliYusuf al-Sibaie, We Do Not Cultivate ThornsAnne-Marie Drosso, Cairo StoriesMuhammad al-Fakharani, An Interval for BewildermentRobert Solé, Birds of PassageIhsan Abdel Quddus, Let the Sun ShineHala El Badry, Swimming in a HoleIhab Abdel Hamid, Failed LoversMahmoud Al-Wardani, Mall MusicKhaled Al Khamissi, TaxiWaguih Ghali, Beer in the Snooker ClubSonallah Ibrahim, Cairo from Edge to EdgeNaguib Mahfouz, The Day the Leader Was KilledMiral al-Tahawy, Blue AubergineAhmed Mourad, VertigoAhmed Alaidy, Being Abbas el AbdMuhammad Salah al-Azab, Frequent Stops4. Private SpacesHassan Hassan, In the House of Muhammad Ali: A Family Album, 1805–1952Naguib Mahfouz, Palace WalkSamia Serageldin, The Cairo HouseAndrée Chedid, From Sleep UnboundYusuf al-Sibaie, We Do Not Cultivate ThornsNaguib Mahfouz, Palace WalkNaguib Mahfouz, Palace of DesireAlbert Cossery, Proud BeggarsAmina al-Said, The End of the Road: A Real-life TragedyBahaa Taher, The Drop of LightAlaa Al Aswany, The Yacoubian BuildingSonallah Ibrahim, ZaatMekkawi Said, Cairo Swan SongM.M. Tawfik, Murder in the Tower of HappinessShehata al-Erian, The Women of OthersHamdi Abu Golayyel, Thieves in RetirementHani Abdel-Mourid, Kyrie Eleison5. On the Move in CairoTaha Hussein, A Man of LettersTharwat Abaza, FogIhsan Abdel Quddus, I Am FreeSalwa Bakr, RabbitsRaouf Mosad, IthacaSahar al-Mougy, NKhaled Al Khamissi, TaxiAhmed Alaidy, Being Abbas el AbdMona Prince, Today I’m Gonna Pamper MyselfAbout the AuthorsBibliographyGlossaryIndex of Authors