Youssef Rakha (; born on 12 June 1976 in Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian writer. His work explores language and identity in the context of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, and reflects connections with the Arab-Islamic canon and world literature. He has worked in many genres in both Arabic and English, and is known for his essays and poems as well as his novels.

Early life

The only child of a formerly Marxist lawyer, Elsaid Rakha, and an English-to-Arabic translator, Labiba Saad, Rakha was born and grew up in

Dokki Dokki ( ar, الدقي , is one of nine districts that make up Giza city, which is part of Greater Cairo, in Egypt. Dokki is situated on the western bank of the Nile, directly across from Downtown Cairo. It is a vital residential and comme ...

, on the western bank of the Nile, where he lives with his family today. At the age of 17 he left Egypt for the UK, where he obtained a first class honours BA in English and Philosophy from

Hull University , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

in 1998. On his return he joined the staff of ''

Al-Ahram Weekly ''Al-Ahram Weekly'' is an English-language weekly broadsheet printed by the Al-Ahram Publishing House in Cairo, Egypt. History and profile ''Al Ahram Weekly'' was established in 1991 by the ''Al-Ahram'' newspaper, which also runs a French-langu ...

'', the Cairo-based English-language newspaper, where he has worked regularly since 1999. Rakha's biography is sketched out in, among other sources, the introduction to ''Beirut39: New Writing from the Arab World'' edited by

Samuel Shimon Samuel Shimon (born 1956 in Al-Habbaniyah, Iraq) is an Iraqi writer and journalist of Assyrian descent. He left Iraq in 1979 with dreams of becoming a director in Hollywood, and has since then lived in Damascus, Amman, Beirut, Nicosia, Aden, Cairo, ...

, Starkey's chapter in ''Studying Modern Arabic Literature'' (footnote 4), ''Banipal'' online and Pro Helvetia's Territory Crossings.

Career

Novels

In October 2022,

Graywolf Press Graywolf Press is an Independent publisher, independent, non-profit publishing, publisher located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Graywolf Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Graywolf Press collaborates with organizations such as the Co ...

bought Rakha's first novel to be written in English, tentatively titled ''The Dissenters''. Rakha's first novel is ''The'' ''Book of the Sultan's Seal: Strange Incidents from History in the City of Mars.'' First published in 2011 as ''Kitab at-Tugra: Gharaib at-Tarikh fi Madinat al-Marrikh'' (Arabic: كتاب الطغرى: غرائب التاريخ في مدينة المريخ), the book is studied for its innovative use of

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

, its postmodern take on the theme of the

caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

, its reimagining of the city of

and its possible significance in the history of Arabic literature. It won the Banipal Seif Ghobash Prize for

Paul Starkey Paul Starkey is a British scholar and translator of Arabic literature. Life and career Starkey received his doctorate from Oxford University; the subject of his dissertation was the works of the Egyptian writer Tawfiq Hakim. He is emeritus pro ...

’s English translation in 2015, and was published in French in 2016. For academic interest in ''The Book of the Sultan's Seal'', see

's chapter in ''Studying Modern Arabic Literature'', Benjamin Koerber's paper in the ''Journal of Arabic Literature'', and

Anton Shammas Anton Shammas ( ar, أنطون شماس, he, אנטון שמאס; born 1950), is a Palestinian writer, poet and translator of Arabic, Hebrew and English. Biography Anton Shammas was one of six children born to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese ...

's remark on the English publisher's website. For the

Banipal Prize The Banipal Prize, whose full name is the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator (or translators) for the published English translation of a full-length literary work in the Arab ...

, see the Banipal Trust site. For the French translation, by Philippe Vigreux, see . Since 2011 Rakha has completed two other novels in a proposed trilogy on the January Revolution, ''The Crocodiles'' (Arabic: التماسيح) and ''Paulo'' (Arabic: باولو). The latter was longlisted for the Arabic Booker in 2017 (the IPAF longlist for 2017) and won the 2017

Sawiris Cultural Award The Sawiris Cultural Award is an Egyptian literary prize, awarded annually by the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development. It was inaugurated in 2005 with prizes in two categories: novels and short stories. Since then, additional categories in sc ...

for Best Novel in January 2018.

Other work

Rakha is also known as a photographer and the editor of a bilingual literature and photography site named after his first novel, The Sultan's Seal: Cairo's Coolest Cosmopolitan Hotel. His photography is featured on ''

Mada Masr ''Mada Masr'' ( ar, مدى مصر) is an independent Egyptian online newspaper, founded in June 2013 by former journalists of the English-language newspaper ''Egypt Independent'' following the shutting down of its editorial operations in April 20 ...

'' ''Berfrois'', P1xels and ''

Bidoun ''Bidoun'' is an American non-profit organization, focused on art and culture from the Middle East and its diasporas. Bidoun was founded as a print publication and magazine in 2004 by Lisa Farjam, eventually expanding to curatorial projects. The ...

''. His site has helped to introduce significant young writers in Arabic like the Libyan Ali Latife, the Algerian Salah Badis, the Palestinian Carol Sansour and the Egyptian Amgad Al Sabban; it has featured literary and photographic figures including Bezav Mahmod, Hilary Plum,

Niall Griffiths Niall Griffiths (born 1966) is an English author of novels and short stories, set predominantly in Wales. His works include two novels ''Grits'' and ''Sheepshagger'', and his 2003 publication ''Stump'' which won the Wales Book of the Year award. ...

and

Pauls Toutonghi Pauls Toutonghi (born 1976) is a first-generation American fiction and non-fiction writer. He was born in America to immigrant parents. Pauls' mother emigrated from Latvia, while his father emigrated from Egypt. His first novel, '' Red Weather'', ...

. A list of contributors can be found at sultansseal.com. Prior to writing ''The Book of the Sultan's Seal'', Rakha contributed to the coverage of Arab culture in English for many years as a reporter, literary critic and cultural editor. See the ''

'' archives for Rakha's numerous pieces in the Culture and Profile sections especially. He also wrote literary non-fiction and poetry in Arabic, for which he was chosen to participate in the Hay Festival

Beirut39 Beirut39 is a collaborative project between the Hay Festival, Beirut UNESCO's World Book Capital 2009 celebrations, ''Banipal'' magazine and the British Council among others in order to identify 39 of the most promising Arab writers under the age o ...

event as one of the 39 best Arab writers under 40. His 2006 photo travelogue ''Beirut Shi Mahal'' (Arabic: بيروت شي محل), later translated into Polish, was nominated for the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage. For the Polish translation of the Beirut travelogue see Dobra Literatura. As an English-language essayist and short fiction writer, Rakha has also contributed to numerous publications in the US and the UK. Publications in which he has written include, among many others, ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The White Review ''The White Review'' is a London-based magazine on literature and the visual arts. It is published in print and online. History ''The White Review'' was founded by editors Benjamin Eastham and Jacques Testard, and released its first issue in p ...

'', ''Guernica'' and ''

The Kenyon Review ''The Kenyon Review'' is a literary magazine based in Gambier, Ohio, US, home of Kenyon College. ''The Review'' was founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom, critic and professor of English at Kenyon College, who served as its editor until 1959. ' ...

''.

Coverage

News outlets that have covered Rakha's work include ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

'', ''

Qantara.de Qantara.de (Classical Arabic: ', meaning "bridge") is an Internet portal in German, English, and Arabic, produced by Deutsche Welle in order to promote intercultural dialogue between the Western and Islamic worlds. The portal was founded on the ...

'', ''AL-BAB'','', The National,'' ''

Die Welt ''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE. ''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter Allg ...

'' and ''

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

''. English language reviews of Rakha's books and interviews occasioned by his work have appeared in, among other outlets, ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'', ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'', ''

Words Without Borders ''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...

'', ''

Reorient ''Reorient'' was a Canadian online magazine focusing on contemporary Middle Eastern arts and culture. The magazine was founded in 2012 by Joobin Bekhrad who also edited the magazine. The areas covered primarily included visual art, music, books ...

,'' ''The New York Review of Books'' and ''Music and Literature''. Rakha is a well-known literary figure in Cairo and Beirut. His work has received regular in-depth coverage in the press since 2006. Arabic newspapers and media outlets that covered Youssef Rakha include ''

Al-Ahram ''Al-Ahram'' ( ar, الأهرام; ''The Pyramids''), founded on 5 August 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after '' al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya'' (''The Egyptian Events'', founded 1828). It is majori ...

'', ''

Akhbar Al-Adab ''Akhbar Al Adab'' ( ar, أخبار الأدب; ''Cultural News'' in English) is an Arabic weekly literary magazine which is published by state-run Akhbar Al Yawm publishing house. History and profile ''Akhbar Al Adab'' was established by Gamal A ...

'', '' Al-Akhbar'', ''

As-Safir ''As-Safir'' ( ar, السفير, lit=The Ambassador), was a leading Arabic-language daily newspaper in Lebanon. The headquarters of the daily was in Beirut. It was in circulation from March 1974 until December 2016. The last issue of the paper wa ...

'', '' Al-Quds Al-Arabi'', ''Al-Araby'', ''

'', ''

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Arabia'', '' Al-Mustaqbal'', ''

Al-Hayat Al-Hayat ( ar, الحياة meaning "Life") was a London-based, pan-Arab newspaper owned by Saudi Prince Khalid bin Sultan, that had a circulation estimated over 200,000. It was the newspaper of record for the Arab diaspora and the preferred v ...

'', ''

An-Nahar ''An-Nahar'' ( ar, النهار, lit=The Day or The Morning) is a leading Arabic-language daily newspaper published in Lebanon. In the 1980s, ''An-Nahar'' was described by the ''New York Times'' and ''Time Magazine'' as the newspaper of record f ...

'', raseef22.com and 24.UE.

Books published

*''Azhar ash-shams'' (Arabic: أزهار الشمس; Flowers of the Sun), short stories, Cairo: Dar Sharqiyat, 1999. *''Beirut shi mahal'' (Arabic: بيروت شي محل; Beirut Some Place), photo travelogue, Alexandria: Amkenah Books, 2006. Reviews of ''Beirut shi mahal'' appeared in, among other Arabic newspapers, ''

'' ''Al-Ittihad'' and ''

Asharq Al-Awsat ''Asharq Al-Awsat'' ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, Aš-Šarq al-ʾAwsaṭ, meaning "The Middle East") is an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. A pioneer of the "off-shore" model in the Arabic press, the paper is often noted f ...

''. The text was extracted in German translation in ''Lettre International 74''. *''Bourguiba ala madad'' (Arabic: بورقيبة على مضض; Bourguiba Reluctantly), part two of Beirut shi mahal (without photos), Beirut: Riyad El-Rayyes, 2008. *''Shamal al qahira gharb al filibbin'' (Arabic: شمال القاهرة غرب الفلبين; North of Cairo, West of the Philippines), travel essays, Beirut: Riyad El-Rayyes, 2009. *''Kull amakinina'' (Arabic: كل أماكننا; All Our Places), poems and essays, Cairo: Dar Al-Ain, 2010. *''The Book of the Sultan's Seal: Strange Incidents from History in the City of Mars'' (Arabic: كتاب الطغرى: غرائب التاريخ في مدينة المريخ), novel, Cairo: Dar Al-Shorouk, 2011. . Beirut: Arab Institute for Research and Publishing, 2018. . USA:

Interlink Interlink may refer to: *Hyperlinks *Interlink Electronics *Interlink (interbank network) *Interlink Airlines *Interlink Publishing *B-Train road trains in southern Africa *T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station), in Warwick, Rhode Island, US *Interl ...

, 2015. . Geneva: Éditions Zoé, 2016. *''The Crocodiles'' (Arabic: التماسيح), novel, Beirut: Dar Al-Saqi, 2012. . New York:

Seven Stories Press Seven Stories Press is an independent American publishing company. Based in New York City, the company was founded by Dan Simon in 1995, after establishing Four Walls Eight Windows in 1984 as an imprint at Writers and Readers, and then incorpora ...

, 2015. *''Paulo'' (Arabic: باولو), novel, Cairo-Beirut-Tunis: Dar Al-Tanwir, 2016. *''Arab Porn'', essay (ebook only), 60Pages (long-form collective), 2016. ASIN B01J4YMPZK. Berlin: Matthes & Seitz, 2017. *''Barra and Zaman: Reading Egyptian Modernity in Shadi Abdel Salam’s The Mummy'', essay, London: Palgrave Pivot (Studies in Arab Cinema), 2020. *''Walakinna Qalbi: Mutanabbi al Alfiya al Thalitha'' (Arabic: ولكن قلبي: متنبي الألفية الثالثة; And Yet My Heart: Third Millennium Mutanabbi), 20 poems and a personal essay, with illustrations by Walid Taher (on a grant from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture), Cairo-Beirut-Tunis: Dar Al-Tanwir, 2021. *''Walakinna Qalbi: Ma ba'd al Mutanabbi'' (Arabic: ولكن قلبي: ما بعد المتنبي; And Yet My Heart: Post Mutanabbi), essays and poems, with illustrations by Walid Taher, Dammam: Dar Athar, 2022. *''Emissaries and Other Short Stories'', London: Barakunan, 2023.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rakha, Youssef 1976 births Egyptian writers Living people