Midnight in Cairo

The Female Stars of Egypt's Roaring '20s

Midnight in Cairo
Raphael Cormack
RRP:
NZ$ 36.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 31.44
Paperback
h198 x 129mm - 352pg
18 Oct 2022 UK
International import eta 10-19 days
9780863569364
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
1920s Cairo: singers were pressing hit records, dramatic troupes were springing up and cabarets were packed - a counterculture was on the rise. In bars, hash-dens and music halls, people of all backgrounds came together as a passionate group of artists captivated Egyptian society. Of these performers, Cairo' s biggest stars were female, and they asserted themselves on the stage like never before. Two of the most famous troupes were run by women; Badia Masabni' s dancehall became the hottest nightspot in town; pioneer of Egyptian cinema Aziza Amir made her stage debut; and legendary singer Oum Kalthoum first rose to fame. It is these women, who knew both the opportunities and prejudices that this world offered, who best reveal this cosmopolitan and raucous city' s secrets. Midnight in Cairo tells the thrilling story of Egypt' s interwar nightlife and entertainment industry through the lives of its pioneering women. Introducing an eccentric cast of characters, it brings to life a world of revolutionary ideas and provocative art - one which laid the foundations of Arab popular culture today. It is a story of modern Cairo as we have never heard it before.
' A spectacular parade of the extraordinary, bold and brash Egyptian women who shot to fame in the early years of globalised celebrity culture. ' The Times; ' A revelation . . . in this tremendous act of historical discovery, Cormack has unearthed the regal figures and buried treasures of Cairo' s golden age. He is the Howard Carter of the demi-monde. ' The Telegraph; ' Midnight in Cairo delivers a place, time and people you' ll wish you' d personally known. . . . Cormack deftly outlines the shifts in political mood and popular tastes that Cairo' s entertainment scene both responded to and inspired. ' TLS ;' A captivating journey through [Cairo' s] bars, cafes, cabaret clubs and music halls during a magical era when some of its biggest stars were women. ' The Herald; ' Fascinating . . . Midnight in Cairo is a fizzing tale of an underexplored period . . . [These female performers] changed the terms of Egyptian popular culture and blazed a path for women. ' David Gardner, Financial Times; ' An utterly unique book, teeming with vividly recounted stories, at times hilarious and at times tragic. These were true feminists avant la lettre who defied the societal norms and authorities of their time, both in Egypt and abroad. This inspiring gem of a book gripped me from beginning to end. ' Hanan al-Shaykh, author of Women of Sand and Myrrh; ' Important, insightful and fascinating . . . Cormack highlights an important period in Egypt' s modern history - almost unknown in the West - when its cosmopolitan culture was characterized by a tolerance of all races and religions . . . This is a must-read. ' Alaa Al Aswany, author of The Yacoubian Building; ' A book full of surprises. A lively story of women shaping gender, class, money and national liberation issues from the music halls and cabarets of early twentieth-century Cairo. ' Ahdaf Soueif, author of Cairo: Memoir of a City Transformed; ' An unexpected story of powerful women and their no less powerful voices . . . Beguiling and original. ' Marina Warner, author of Forms of Enchantment; ' Packed with pizzazz and fizzing with naughtiness . . . a thrilling reminder of the richness and wonder of Egyptian culture in the roaring twenties. ' Justin Marozzi, author of Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood;
Raphael Cormack has a PhD in Egyptian theatre from the University of Edinburgh and is currently a visiting researcher at Columbia University, New York. He is an award-winning editor and translator and has written on Arabic culture for the London Review of Books, Prospect and TLS, among others. He is the editor of The Book of Cairo and the co-editor of The Book of Khartoum.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9780863569364
Published: 18 Oct 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Saqi Books
Publisher: Saqi Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 198mm
Width: 129mm
Spine: 19mm
Pages: 352

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information