Bawabat Al-Zaman ("Gates of Time"), by: Mohamed Mansi Qandil, (Cairo: El-Midan Publishing), 2020, 100pp

 

Renowned Egyptian writer Mohamed Mansi Qandil released his latest book, a short-story collection entitled Bawabat Al-Zaman by Dar El-Midan publishing house in Cairo.

 

The stories tackle multiple issues, such as corruption, marriage problems, addiction and the destructive use of art and theatre. 

 

The book comprises 12 stories in 100 pages and explores the different views and perspectives on issues we face in our daily life.

 

The publication of the book comes at a rough time for the publishing industry that took a huge hit due to the measures governments have adopted to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

 

Qandil, born in 1946, is one of Egypt’s most celebrated writers. He is best known for his novel Yawm Ghaim Fil Bar Al-Gharbi ("A Cloudy Day on the West Bank") which was shortlisted for the Arabic Booker Prize in 2010 and translated into English by Barbara Romaine and published by Syracuse University Press, and Moon Over Samarqand, which was inspired by a conversation with a taxi driver he met in Uzbekistan. The novel was also translated into English by Jennifer Peterson and published by the American University in Cairo Press.

 

Qandil won many awards, including the Sawiris Cultural Award in 2006. His novel Katiba Sawdaa (Black Battalion), was longlisted for the Arabic Booker Prize in 2016.