Alaa Al Aswany / Features / Untitled Books

Alaa Al Aswany

Alaa Al Aswany is the Egyptian author of The Yacoubian Building and the short story collection Friendly Fire.

Where are you right now?
I am in my house in Cairo. Today is my day off.

Where do you write?
I am a dentist as well as a writer, I usually write in my dental office.

How do you write?
Since 1998, I've written on to a computer. Before that, with pen and paper.

What keeps you writing?
I have many things to say.

Who do you write for?
The people. I write about the people, for the people.

Do you discuss your work with anyone?
No not really. I don't discuss my work.

How do you know if your work is good?
I can feel it. If I feel I like the text I write, then it's good. If I don't like it, then it's not.

Do you have any unwritten characters in mind?
Many. There are many, many characters to be written.

Which book do you wish you'd written?
The Old Man and the Sea.

What is your literary guilty pleasure?
None, I don't think I have any.

Which writer made you want to write?
All good writers. I am inspired by good writing.

Who's the most exciting author writing today?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

If you weren't writing you'd be...?
I am a dentist, but I would say a surgeon.

What next?
I'm working on a new novel. I hope I can finish it in the next year.

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Friendly Fire: Ten Tales of Today's Cairo is published by Fourth Estate

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Saturday, 11 July, 2009

Friendly Fire

Books are purchased through Amazon UK. Link opens in a new window.