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In 2002, literacy was at an all-time low in Egypt, revolution was a few short years away, and Nadia Wassef opened an independent bookstore named Diwan in Cairo. With her sister Hind and her friend Nihal, Wassef built an oasis for lovers of the written word, whether Arabic, English, French, or German. Diwan now has seven locations\u2014and two mobile book trucks\u2014having survived recessions, censorship, misogyny, and political turmoil. Wassef joins the podcast to talk about the story of the store in her new book, Shelf Life.

Go beyond the episode:

• Nadia Wassef\u2019s Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller
• If you\u2019re ever in Egypt, visit Diwan
• Read your way through Egypt with these recommendations in The Guardian
• Dive into the golden age of Egyptian cinema, or watch Souad, the first film by a female Egyptian director to be screened at Cannes

Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.

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Have suggestions for projects you\u2019d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes!

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