A quarter of a gram was all a group of friends needed to take the plunge into addiction. Amany Abdel-Moneim sniffs through a true life story For Isis, a recovering drug addict, reading 1/4 Gram was like reading her own story, even though she didn't fit into the mould of any of the characters. She found reading the novel was a very intense and distinctive experience. It was familiar, evocative and at times painful and frustrating, just like the life of any addict. "It tackles the addiction problem from the addict's point of view," she says. 1/4 Gram is based on a true story from the heart of a recovered heroin addict written in colloquial, easy to read Arabic. Author Essam examines the way heroin abuse ripped through Egyptian society in the 1980s, and shows the effects a mere quarter of a gram had on the lives of a group of friends. It is a thrilling story of pleasure, adventure and good times and the pain and suffering that come as the price. The story is a well-woven, 640-page, real-life account of the painful journey of five life-long friends in the 1980s. They start abusing drugs at an early age, and their habit eventually leads to ruin. The compelling events of the novel take place over a decade. It all begins one New Year's Eve when the narrator, Salah, and his friends, all teenagers, share a quarter of a gram of heroin. provides an insight into the lives of drug addicts and dealers and how and why they start using and abusing drugs, while following the five addicts and their families on the agonising journey that eventually destroys their lives. Each tries to overcome addiction, but ultimately each of the five characters sees friends turn to crime, get sent to prison, or meet a tragic death. Only one of the five recovers after his family admits him to a rehab clinic. In 1/4 Gram, has a massage to deliver. It is to help kids and teenagers understand the concept of addiction, and so he chooses to begin his tale at the start of Salah's life. "You have to give them a chance to relate to the characters," he says. Breaking all rules of publishing, 's first novel became a number one best seller in Cairo's main bookstores shortly after hitting the shelves last April. The 10th edition has already sold out and an 11th one will be released in a matter of days. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, customer service manager at the Diwan bookstore in Zamalek, says all the copies of 1/4 Gram have sold out and he is waiting for the new edition. He says most customers buying the book are between the ages of 18 and 25, a group that generally does not read as much as other age groups. "Especially if it is an Arabic book," Ali adds. Although it is a relatively long story, it is difficult to put down. "I read the whole book in record time, almost a day and half, and then gave it to my friends to read. I literally laughed out loud reading 1/4 Gram and I cried too. It was a very passionate experience," said a 22-year-old, Ahmed, at an open seminar held in the Al-Sawy Culture Wheel last week. The story has been called a seminal work that portrays the problem of addiction realistically and accurately with no exaggeration or toning down of any sort. In 1/4 Gram, explains exceptionally well and in a very simple way the development of how and why a person may become an addict. It also shows why addicts become hooked on drugs, and why they are emotionally attracted to addiction. The novel, without lecturing or preaching, also reveals a way out. In the appendix the author leads his readers to the famous Twelve Step Programme as well as the world of Narcotics Anonymous, a worldwide organisation that holds more than 43,000 meetings every week in 127 countries and targets recovering drug-abusers. 1/4 Gram appeals because people need to read a real life story. "As I read through, I completely interact with the group," says Laila, whose brother is recovering from addiction. "I feel the grief when Salah's friends die from overdosing. I also experience the horrifying road to recovery and live the fear that Salah may, at any moment, give up and abort his 12-step programme towards recovery." The lack of awareness and information about why and how people, especially the young, start abusing drugs is what inspired to write his novel. He confronts the issue bravely, describing the various kinds of drugs available in the country and where and how they are obtained in Cairo. He also takes readers into the real world of the sufferer and gives them the chance to see with the author's eyes, listen with his ears and feel with his heart. To give a complete picture of the truth about addiction, spent three years researching drug abuse and addiction in Egypt. He gathered data on drug addiction from official sources, including the ministries of health, population and interior affairs. He visited most of the hospitals that treat addicts and met the physicians who supervise their cases. According to , there are an estimated nine million drug users in Egypt. He believes, however, that these statistics are not entirely accurate, as the data only includes addicts in jail or admitted into hospitals and barely touches on the growing number of young abusers in schools and universities. says he never intended to write in order to be known or to make a profit, but he is glad to see his book accepted by so many young people and pleased to have his efforts commended. Fan clubs and groups dedicated to 1/4 Gram have been launched on the social networking website Facebook, where thousands of members are posting comments about it. "I knew that the book would sell, but I didn't expect it to become so popular so quickly," says. While it may not rank amongst the best Arabic novels in literary terms, its compelling storyline and the unique approach to an under-exposed problem in Egypt are perhaps what explain its current success. says an English translation of the novel will be available by the end of 2008; followed by French, German, Italian and Spanish translations. The Arabic version has been distributed in 22 Arab countries. 1/4 Gram is now a film project with Laura Wagner as executive producer, Montana Studio as producers incooperation with Al-Karma. Scripted by and Mariam Naoum, the film will be directed by the Egyptian director Ibrahim El-Batout. comes from a family of acclaimed literary figures. He is the son of the renowned Egyptian children books writer Abdel-Tawab and Notaila Rashed, editor-in-chief for more than 40 years of the most popular children's publication in the Arab world, Samir. himself graduated from Cairo University with a degree in literature. In 2007 started the Montana Studios for Cinema Production. As the CEO, is working on several projects for adults and children. Apart from 1/4 Gram, Essam has also written the script of Zihab wa Awda (Two-way Trip ), a series currently in the production phase, and a collection of short stories that will be published in the near future.
