Alexandra Avierino (November 1872 – 1937) was a Lebanese-born

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

ian writer.

Biography

She was born Alexandra Constantine Khuri in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

into a Lebanese Christian Orthodox family. She was educated at convent schools in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

and then

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

. While still in her teens, she married Miltiades di Avierino, who was of Italian and Spanish descent. The couple had two daughters and a son. Avierino became a British subject through her marriage. In 1898, she founded ''

Anis Al-Jalis ''Anis Al-Jalis'' (meaning ''the Sociable Companion'' in English) was a monthly women's magazine published in Alexandria from 1898 to 1907. Its founder and editor was Alexandra Avierino, a British and Greek female writer who was born in Lebanon ...

'' ("The Sociable Companion"), a monthly

women's magazine This is a list of women's magazines from around the world. These are magazines that have been published primarily for a readership of women. Currently published *'' 10 Magazine'' (UK - distributed worldwide) *'' Al Jamila'' (Saudi Arabia) *''All ...

, also serving as its editor. In 1900, she travelled to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where she represented Egypt at the conference of the Alliance universelle des femmes pour la paix, an international peace society, which was held during the Exposition Universelle of that year. Its founder Princess Gabrielle Wiszniewska bequeathed her title to Avierino, so after the princess died, she called herself Princess Alexandra di Avierino Wiszniewska. In 1901, she started a French literary review ''Le Lotus''; it was expensive to produce and only appeared for a year. She continued to produce ''Anis Al-Jalis'' until she was forced to shut it down for financial reasons in 1907. Avierino also wrote poetry and a play. She held a

literary salon A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "e ...

where intellectuals, both women and men, could gather. She contributed to newspapers such as ''al-Muqaṭṭam'' (pro-British) and ''

Al-Mu'ayyad Ibrahim ibn Jaʽfar al-Mutawakkil ( ar, ابراهيم بن جعفر المتوكل; died 866), better known by his ''laqab'' al-Mu'ayyad (, was an Abbasid prince, the third son of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil, and brother of al-Muntasir and ...

'' (anti-British). During the early 1920s, she was forced to travel to England to resolve issues related to her status as a British citizen. Then, in July 1924, she was arrested by Egyptian authorities and accused of being involved in an assassination attempt on Prime Minister

Saad Zaghloul Saad Zaghloul ( ar, سعد زغلول / ; also ''Sa'd Zaghloul Pasha ibn Ibrahim'') (July 1859 – 23 August 1927) was an Egyptian revolutionary and statesman. He was the leader of Egypt's nationalist Wafd Party. He led a civil disobedience ...

. After being interrogated and released, she left for England. On her return, she was denied entry into Egypt. She later died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avierino, Alexandra 20th-century Egyptian women writers 20th-century journalists 1872 births 1926 deaths Egyptian emigrants to England Egyptian women journalists Egyptian people of Lebanese descent English people of Egyptian descent Lebanese emigrants to Egypt Lebanese women writers Egyptian magazine founders