Reem Bassiouney Bücher

"Al-Qata'i' is a historical novel set in Egypt over several periods of time and explores the legacy of Ibn Tulun, who ruled Egypt in the 9th century. Inspired by Ibn Tulun's mosque, which still stands as the largest in Cairo and one of the oldest in Africa, the story takes place in and around the smaller cities that were the historic precursors to Cairo in the 9th and 10th centuries, Fustat, Qata'i, and Giza. Ibn Tulun built the city of Al-Qata'i and its mosque as a city where people of multiple beliefs could live together. Bassiouney's novel brings this period of time to life through vivid descriptions and by showing the everyday struggles of people of the time period. These are woven together with scenes from 1918 and 1919 which represent the modern discovery of the historic Tulunid mosque and adjoining houses and function as a narrative bridge between the events of the 9th and 10th centuries and today, showing how this period could present a model for Egyptian harmony today. The structure of the novel is similar to Bassiouney's last novel, Sons of the People. It takes place over three periods in time across three connected sets of characters and is thus in three parts: "Maisoon," "Ahmad's Dream," and "The Pledge." The first part gives a glimpse of life in Egypt before Ibn Tulun arrives. At the start it is very bleak, with a despotic regime ruling Egypt. It ends with Ibn Tulun's rise to power. Part Two relates three different perspectives on Ahmed Ibn Tulun. For Bassiouney, Ibn Tulun was a visionary, uniting Greek, Roman, Coptic, and Arab elements of Egyptian society into his army and the city of Qata'i. This part develops several story lines, including a love story. Part Three recounts the story of Aisha, daughter of Ibn Tulun, after his death. Bassiouney's novels have been praised for their inclusion of strong women characters and focus on viewpoints not often seen in Arab literature and this novel includes a similar focus on women characters"-- Provided by publisher

The narrative unfolds through Wafaa's perspective as she navigates her emerging sexuality and infatuation with her cousin Ashraf, whose contrasting lifestyle poses challenges to her traditional upbringing. Set against the backdrop of middle-class urban Egypt, both characters face external pressures that force them to reassess their beliefs and identities. Ashraf’s journey to the U.S. as an immigrant and Wafaa's growing doubts about her fundamentalist views highlight their struggles for self-discovery amidst societal changes.

On the eve of her 40th birthday Egyptian academic, Professor Hanaa, finds herself alone and unloved. For 20 years she has battled with an impossible love for an unattainable colleague, hiding her true feelings, and throwing herself into her career. The facade is about to crumble, however, as she decides the time is right to lose her virginity.

The first introduction to the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, this book discusses major trends in research on diglossia, code-switching, gendered discourse, language change and language policies in relation to Arabic.