Canada Day at Cairo International Book Fair spotlights Mahfouz and migration writing with Canadian participants
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The 57th Cairo International Book Fair hosted a “Canada Day” programme coordinated by the Embassy of Canada in Cairo, featuring a series of panel discussions linking literature, culture, and migration writing between Egypt and Canada.
One headline session, “Naguib Mahfouz: Egypt’s soft power through Canadian diplomatic eyes,” featured Canada’s Ambassador to Egypt, Ulric Shannon, who spoke about his personal journey with Arabic literature and highlighted ideas for building a stronger cultural economy around Mahfouz’s legacy.
The programme also included “Many Roads to Travel: The Canadian Journey,” with Egyptian-Canadian author Dr. May Telmissany, alongside novelist Montasser El-Qaffash and writer Gehad El-Rantisi, moderated by publisher Ahmed El-Bouhi. The discussion focused on how migrant writing carries lived experiences back into the author’s original language and rethinks identity and belonging.
