Enta El Sabab Yaba: An honest, satirical view of poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, from his daughter’s eyes

? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Nawara Negm’s Enta El Sabab Yaba (It’s All Because of You, Father) is an intimate, honest, and hilarious personal account of Negm’s life with her late father, renowned poet Ahmed Fouad Negm. Nawara approaches her father not as a poet, a songwriter, or a prominent activist, but as a father — taking an extremely honest view of the man without falling for the idolization trap. Nawara’s writing is bold, witty, and sharp — which is unsurprising, given her parents were two of the most controversial and outspoken writers of their time. Nawara touches on her parents’ time in prison under different presidents, reflecting on the melodrama using a skillfully crafted balance of facts and sharp satire. The book explores complicated and delicate issues like childhood trauma, separation anxiety, guilt tripping, contradicting parenting styles, and so much more, with a lot of understanding — and a little judgment. The book is written in Arabic and can be found in Diwan, Al Shorouk, and the Readers corner.