Egypt

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English, winner of the Graywolf Press Africa Prize, has been described as “enthralling and nuanced.”

The famed writer’s novel, banned in Egypt and in several Arab countries, comes out in English.

She was known for her assertive views on politics and women’s rights, which put her at risk. “Nothing is more perilous than truth in a world that lies,” she wrote after release from prison.

The Way We Were tells the story of three women’s friendship. “The story of young Muslim women wasn’t being told outside a stereotypical narrative,” said the Egyptian poet.