English professor raises awareness of Egyptian authors
Open gallery
In the wake of the Arab Spring, Assistant Professor of English Pauls Toutonghi is asserting the increasing relevance of Egyptian authors little known to American readers.
Toutonghi, who teaches literature courses and fiction writing at Lewis & Clark, visited Cairo this spring and noted the importance of literature in Egypt’s revolution. When he returned, Toutonghi was disappointed to discover that even critically acclaimed Egyptian authors were absent from American bookstore shelves.
In an op-ed for the online magazine The Millions, Toutonghi explains his frustration, writing: “Where was the work of these men and women, work that was a catalyst for the ongoing social transformation of the largest nation in the Middle East?”
To correct this problem, Toutonghi recommends a handful of distinguished authors who have heretofore been neglected by Western audiences.
Read Toutonghi’s full opinion—“Six Egyptian Writers You Don’t Know But You Should”—at The Millions.
UPDATE: Toutonghi discusses the political situation in Egypt with author Mansoura Ez Eldin in this interview at The Rumpus.
