Interview with Nadia Wassef: I Will Always Be on the Side of Women
Nadia Wassef
What inspired you and your sister to start Diwan, Egypt's first modern bookstore, in 2002? What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of Diwan? How did the cultural and literary scene in Cairo influence your vision for Diwan?
My sister, Hind, and I were at a crossroads: we were seeking fulfilment in our professional lives and we wanted to do something that would make a difference to our community. This was the era of bookstores as third spaces (after home and work places) that saw the rise of Barnes & Noble and Borders, so we created the space we wanted to spend time in.
Nadia and Hind Wassef
I think our biggest challenge was the absence of an ecosystem that supported the idea of a modern bookstore—this meant that we had to reinvent the wheel on so many fronts: IT systems, databases that could take both English and Arabic titles and authors, staffing, merchandising, etc.
The cultural and literary scene during the early 2000s was starting to boom and that was energising to Diwan; Diwan in turn supported this scene. It was a lucky celestial coincidence—we embarked on Diwan at the right time in the right place.
Over the last twenty years, Diwan has grown into Egypt's leading chain of bookstores. What factors do you believe contributed to this success?
Incredible amounts of hard work. A willingness to make mistakes and learn from them. Diwan’s family, which has undergone many changes in the last 22 years, consists of a group of very different individuals who share similar goals and are very loyal to Diwan—this is essential.
How do you maintain Diwan's fiercely independent spirit as it expands?
By constantly referring back to Diwan’s initial vision and re-envisioning it over time.
Diwan is not just a bookstore but a cultural hub. How do you curate the selection of books and events to reflect this mission? Could you share some memorable moments or events that have taken place at Diwan?
Diwan’s success rests firmly on the shoulders of its family. Curation of each shelf was something Hind talked about in 2002 when no one thought of curating spaces and experiences. This is a legacy that continues in every branch and in every person in Diwan.
For me personally, Diwan’s fifth anniversary celebration was one of my favourite moments: in 2007 at the outdoor theatre of the Cairo Opera House, Ahmed Al-Aidy, Galal Amin, Robert Fisk, Ahdaf Soueif, and Bahaa Taher discussed the last five years and offered predictions on the next five. None of us could have imagined that a revolution would happen in those coming years, or that so much in Egypt, and the region, would change. Three of these authors are no longer on this earth and I feel privileged to have known them and to have been able to count them as friends and members of Diwan’s family.
You have three master’s degrees and a diverse background in literature, social anthropology, and creative writing. How have these academic experiences shaped your approach to running Diwan?
Academia requires rigour, as do most things in life. I can’t say that these degrees had a direct impact on my approach to Diwan, but I can say that they changed the way I view myself and my world.
You’ve been recognized as one of the most powerful Arab women in the Middle East multiple times. How has this recognition impacted your work and personal life?
This recognition reinforces in me the belief that true success, the real victories in our lives, are the quiet ones that no one witnesses, they are the ones that we hold inside ourselves. Accolades create noise and noise is a distraction.
Before co-founding Diwan, you worked in research and advocacy for the Female Genital Mutilation Task Force and the Women and Memory Forum. How have these experiences influenced your work at Diwan? In what ways do you believe bookstores and literary spaces can contribute to advancing women's rights and social change?
I will always be on the side of women, biased towards them. My feminism is something that I cannot extricate from who I am. Bookstores, communal spaces, literary spaces, are essential to the advancement of all societies and their members. For women’s rights to advance, all society needs to advance alongside them; and for that dialogue is absolutely essential. Role models are also essential across all walks of life and all strata of society. My daughters have grown up in a home where their mother always worked. It is important for children to see their mothers realising financial and social independence.
Your book "Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller" has received praise for its rich and multifaceted portrayal of Diwan and Cairo. What inspired you to write this memoir? How do you see the role of memoirs and personal narratives in preserving cultural and historical memory?
I wrote this memoir to better understand my relationship with Diwan and with Cairo. I was looking for closure; instead, I found a multiplicity of threads, stories, narratives, that I hold onto with the full knowledge that everything changes with time, including our perception.
I think memoirs and personal narratives are vital for the preservation of cultural and historical memory, as well as fragmenting the idea of one dominant narrative. We need many fragments to piece together our fragmented histories. There is no one truth, but many truths through which we can make sense of this world and our place within it.
Could you tell us more about any current projects or future plans for Diwan? Are there any upcoming books or authors you’re particularly excited to feature at Diwan? Living in London with your daughters, how do you balance your life between two vibrant cities, Cairo and London?
I think my life has been a series of attempts at balance that don’t often work. Instead, I have come to see my life as a pendulum between different places and times. I moved to London with my daughters to go back to school, and then I started writing. Today both my daughters are in universities in America and I have made my way back to Cairo. Who knows where the next chapter will take me.
How do you perceive the current cultural and literary landscape in Egypt and the Middle East? What changes or trends do you hope to see in the future within the literary world in this region?
Currently, there is a tremendous amount of creativity in the production and consumption of cultural and literature. I would like to see more chronicling and documenting. I would also like to see the exploration of more genres, turning them inside out and upside down, merging them with others. What has been happening in street music for the last decade is innovative, political, youthful and energising. I see it also happening in literature and film.
Who are some of the authors or figures that have inspired you the most throughout your career?
There are so many! But here are a few characters, singers, actresses, writers that come to mind: Waguih Ghali, Alifa Rifaat, Scheherazade (Arabian Nights), Virginia Woolf, Sophocles, Harold Fry in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Hard Fry, Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit, Huda Shaarawi, Doria Shafik, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, Faten Hamama, Umm Kulthum, and of course my mother and my sister!
You recently spoke for the PublisHer community platform, which promotes gender equality in the publishing business. Could you share some insights from your talk and your involvement with this platform? How do you see the impact of the PublisHer platform on the publishing industry, and what changes do you hope to achieve through this initiative?
I think PublisHer is a fantastic platform and community for women in the publishing ecosystem. We need many more spaces and platforms that allow for women to come together, explore their similarities and differences, and lobby for the real changes that would enhance their contributions. One could argue that there are many associations and organisations that already exist, but I think this one is very alive and engaged with its community and that is so important in bringing about any kind of change.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, who want to make a difference in the literary and cultural sectors?
Just do it. Failure is often a likelihood, but even in the lining of failure, you can craft success. Listen to yourself. Surround yourself with a tribe of like-minded people who will embrace and support you.
Interview by: Dr. Ana Stjelja Gad
Photos: Private Archive
Video: YouTube
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