The Cheapest Nights

The Cheapest Nights
Yusuf Idris, Ezzedine C Fishere, Wadida Wassef
RRP:
NZ$ 38.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 31.19
Paperback
h197 x 129mm - 208pg
9 Jun 2020
International import eta 7-19 days
9780143133988
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
From the "genius of the short story," a collection illuminating the lives of the Egyptian lower class by one of the most important and innovative voices of Egyptian literature A Penguin ClassicOne of Egypt' s most acclaimed and well-known authors, Yusuf Idris is heralded as a "renovator and genius of the short story" whose signature stylistic device--the combination of literary and colloquial language a la Huckleberry Finn--transformed Arabic literature. The Cheapest Nights is a collection of some of his most important works, the title story of which follows a man who, unable to sleep, angrily meditates on the state of his life and the extreme poverty in which he finds himself. With compassion, astute observational skills, and biting humor, Idris explores the fraught lives of the Egyptian lower class, all the while turning a critical eye on the power structures that oppress them. His collection of short stories, with a foreword by author Ezzedine C. Fishere, is a piercing exploration of power and religion, love and death.
"Idris' s imagination, craft, and emotional insight make this a must-read" --Publishers Weekly, starred review
A physician as well as a writer, Yusuf Idris (1927-1991) was imprisoned for political activism under both Farouk and Nasser. For a time he was forced to retire from public view, but he emerged after the 1973 war, when he was appointed literary editor of Cairo' s Al Ahram newspaper. His stories are powerful reflections of both the experiences of his own rebellious life and his concern with social injustice. Ezzedine C. Fishere (foreword) is a visiting professor at Dartmouth College, where he teaches courses on Middle East politics and cultures. Before Dartmouth, he taught in the political science department of the American University in Cairo, worked as a diplomat, wrote novels, and since the Tahrir uprising, got engaged in Egyptian politics. This includes working with political groups militating for democracy, writing extensively for Arabic and international media outlets, and speaking about Middle East political realities--to the media and in conferences. Wadida Wassef (translator) was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1926 and taught English language and literature, as well as European history at Al-Nasr Girls' College. She began writing in the 1970s.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9780143133988
Published: 9 Jun 2020
Published In:
Imprint: Penguin Books
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 197mm
Width: 129mm
Spine: 13mm
Weight: 177g
Pages: 208

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