Salwa Bakr
Encyclopedia
Salwa Bakr is an Egyptian
critic, novelist and author. She was born in the Matariyya district in Cairo
in 1949. Her father was a railway worker. She studied business at Ain Shams University
, gaining a BA degree in 1972. She went on to earn another BA in literary criticism
in 1976, before embarking on a career in journalism. She worked as a film and theatre critic for various Arabic newspapers and magazines. Bakr lived in Cyprus
for a few years with her husband before returning to Egypt in the mid-1980s.
Bakr's father died early, leaving her mother a poor widow. Her work often deals with the lives of the impoverished and the marginalized. In 1985, she published her first collection of short stories, Zinat at the President's Funeral, which was an immediate success. She has published several collections of short stories since. Her debut novel was called Wasf al-Bulbul (1993). Of her subsequent novels, two are available in English.
Bakr's books have been translated into various European languages, including Spanish
, French
and Polish
. Her work has appeared in Banipal
magazine, Words Without Borders
, and in a number of English-language anthologies. Single-volume English translations of her work include:
The Man from Bashmour was named as one of the 100 best Arabic novels by the Arabic Writers' Union.
Salwa Bakr is married with children and lives in Cairo.
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
critic, novelist and author. She was born in the Matariyya district in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in 1949. Her father was a railway worker. She studied business at Ain Shams University
Ain Shams University
Ain Shams University is an institute of higher education located in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1950, the university provides education at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels.-History:...
, gaining a BA degree in 1972. She went on to earn another BA in literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
in 1976, before embarking on a career in journalism. She worked as a film and theatre critic for various Arabic newspapers and magazines. Bakr lived in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
for a few years with her husband before returning to Egypt in the mid-1980s.
Bakr's father died early, leaving her mother a poor widow. Her work often deals with the lives of the impoverished and the marginalized. In 1985, she published her first collection of short stories, Zinat at the President's Funeral, which was an immediate success. She has published several collections of short stories since. Her debut novel was called Wasf al-Bulbul (1993). Of her subsequent novels, two are available in English.
Bakr's books have been translated into various European languages, including Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. Her work has appeared in Banipal
Banipal
Banipal is an independent literary magazine dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Arab literature through translations in English. It was founded in London in 1998 by Margaret Obank and Samuel Shimon. The magazine is published three times a year...
magazine, Words Without Borders
Words Without Borders
Words Without Borders is an international magazine opened 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....
, and in a number of English-language anthologies. Single-volume English translations of her work include:
- The Man from Bashmour - translated by Nancy RobertsNancy RobertsNancy Roberts, a motion picture and television producer and writer, is the managing partner of Stampede Entertainment. She was previously a talent agent and later a talent manager who ran her own company called The Roberts Company.-Filmography:...
- The Golden Chariot - translated by Dinah Manisty
- The Wiles of Men and Other Stories - translated by Denys Johnson-DaviesDenys Johnson-DaviesDenys Johnson-Davies is an eminent Arabic-into-English literary translator who has translated, inter alia, several works by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, Sudanese author Tayeb Salih, Palestinian poet Mahmud Darwish and Syrian author Zakaria Tamer.Davies, referred to as “the...
- Such a Beautiful Voice - translated by Hoda El Sadda
The Man from Bashmour was named as one of the 100 best Arabic novels by the Arabic Writers' Union.
Salwa Bakr is married with children and lives in Cairo.