The art of distortion
Nehad Selaiha watches a scathing anti-American political skit at Al-Hanager

In progress: Looking up
Randa Shaath is a Palestinian-Egyptian photographer who has lived in Beirut, Cairo and Minnesota...
By Sonali Pahwa

Plain Talk
Edward Lane's Manners and Customs of Modern Egyptians never fails to feed my nostalgia for the period with which it is concerned...
By Mursi Saad El-Din

Fictions of the mind
A rising star of contemporary writing speaks to Youssef Rakha about life and literature, and the perilous path to fame

New names among the old
Amal Choucri Catta on additions and omissions to the local music scene