Press Release No. 16
1 April,2008
Mr. Amitav Ghosh’s visit to Egypt
Mr. Amitav Ghosh, celebrated Indian author, is visiting Egypt at the invitation of the Arab Writers’ Union. Mr. Ghosh will participate in the Annual Conference of the Arab Writers’ Union being held in Cairo on 02-03 April 2008.
During his visit to Egypt, Mr. Ghosh will participate in the following events:
At 03:30 PM on Wednesday, 02 April, Mr. Ghosh will deliver a lecture at the Oriental Hall of the American University in Cairo. The lecture is titled, ‘The Making of ‘In an Antique Land’: India, Egypt and the Cairo Geniza’.
At 11:00 AM on Thursday, 03 April, Mr. Ghosh will speak at the Naguib Mahfouz Hall, in the new premises of the Arab Writers’ Union at the Citadel, on the influence of Egypt, its life and culture on his books, including ‘In an Antique Land’.
From 06:30 – 07:30 PM on Friday, 04 April, Mr. Ghosh will participate in “Meet the Author” programme at the Diwan Book Store on 159, 26 July Street, Zamalek [telephone: 2736 2598 & 2736 2578]. Mr. Mohammed Salmawy, Chairman of the Arab Writers’ Union, will introduce Mr. Amitav Ghosh and Mr. Alberto Ruy-Sanchez. Mr. Ghosh will sign his books at the Diwan.
Mr. Amitav Ghosh is one of the most widely known Indians writing in English today. He is the author of “The Circle of Reason” [1986), “The Shadow Lines” [1990), “In An Antique Land” [1992], “The Calcutta Chromosome” (1995), “Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma” (1998), “Countdown” (1999), “The Glass Palace” [2000], “The Imam and the Indian” [2002], and “The Hungry Tide” [2004]. As is well-known, part of the story of ‘In an Antique Land’ is set in Egypt, recounting the author’s stay in Lataifa and Nashawy near Damanhor in the Nile Delta in 1980-81. He has been a visiting Professor at Harvard. Mr. Ghosh has won several awards, honours and literary prizes.
Mr. Ghosh’s visit to Egypt is made possible by a generous grant from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi.
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