Midnight in Cairo : The Female Stars of Egypt’s Roaring ’20s - By: Raphael Cormack

ISBN: 978 0 86356 936 4

By: Raphael Cormack

Year of Publishing: 2021

Publisher: Saqi Books

Page Numbers: 342 Pages

Cover: Paperback

PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022 – Honourable Mention

Longlisted for the HWA Crown Awards 2022

1920s Cairo: a counterculture was on the rise. A passionate group of artists captivated Egyptian society in the city’s bars, hash dens and music halls – and the most dazzling and assertive were women.

Midnight in Cairo tells the thrilling story of Egypt’s interwar nightlife, through the lives of these pioneering women, including dancehall impresario Badia Masabni, innovator of Egyptian cinema Aziza Amir and legendary singer Oum Kalthoum. They exploited the opportunities offered by this new era, while weathering its many prejudices. And they held the keys to this raucous, cosmopolitan city’s secrets.

Introducing an eccentric cast of characters, Raphael Cormack brings to life a world of revolutionary ideas and provocative art. This is a story of modern Cairo as we have never heard it before.