CAIRO - One of the weirdest things that happened this year was when the organisers of the Algerian International Book Fair angered Egyptian publishers. Ismail Amizian, the head of the fair, didn't invite them to participate in the 15th edition of the fair, held in June, until August! Mohamed Saber Arab, the head of the General Egyptian Book Authority, says they wanted to participate, as they believe culture is the only remedy for the problems between Egypt and Algeria sparked by the unpleasant football match between Egypt and Algeria in Umdorman, Sudan in November 2009. This year has witnessed something new in Egypt: Alef Bookshop has started an excellent initiative entitled Taxi el-Ma'arefa (Knowledge Taxi), allowing passengers to read while they're in a taxi. Taxis participating in this initiative have been given some free books by Alef Bookshop, while they have to display a sticker with the initiative's logo on, to let people know about it. The books include short stories, articles or other things that don't take much time to read, as the passenger might not have far to travel. For the fourth year running, Ayza Atgawez (I want to Marry), a very entertaining satirical book by Egyptian writer Ghada Abdel-Aal and published by el-Shorouq Publishing House, has been proving very popular. During the holy fasting month of Ramadan this year, it was screened on TV, with the soap starring voluptuous Tunisian actress Hend Sabri. The book is about the diary of an unmarried Egyptian woman in her late twenties, hoping to get married. A 1/4 Gram, written by Essam Youssef and published by El-Dar el-Masreya el-Lebnania Publishing House, has also been selling well, according to Virgin Megastores. It tracks the lives of a group of friends and their battles with drug addiction. This is not simply a gripping story, but one providing eye-opening experiences that can save millions. One of Oktob Publishing House's best sellers is the Yawmyat Etneen Makhtobeen (Diaries of Engaged Couples), written by Heba Sayyed Abdel-Atti. The book deals with the social and financial problems recently engaged couples may face in Egypt. Dehk Magrouh (Wounded Smile), written by Bilal Fadl and published by el-Shorouq Publishing House, has been one of el-Shoruq's best sellers. The book deals with Egyptian political issues but in a satirical way, as is Fadl's wont. Torab el-Mas (Diamond Dust) by Ahmed Morad, El-Nabaty (Vegetarian) by Youssef Zidan and Mada Rakm 212 (Law No. 212) by Haytham Dabour are also doing very well with el-Shorouq. Some of the most popular political satirical books of 2010 include Balad Meta'alem Aliha, written by Moustafa Shohieb for Ibn el-Nafees Publishing House; Ana Min el-Balad Di (I'm from this Country), written by Sayyed Adel for el-Masry Publishing House; and Alf Nila we Nila, written by Mohamed Hassan for Golden Pen Publishing House. As for the English books, “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen is the number one best seller, according to Virgin Megastore. In his latest novel, Franzen returns to fiction with a comic and tragic epic of contemporary love and marriage. The second best seller is a novel by Lauren Oliver entitled “Before I Fall”, which tells the story of Samantha Kingston, who has it all – good looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it's her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realises that, by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she has ever imagined. What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Whom would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? These questions are posed by the novel. The third place goes to “Act like A Lady – Think Like a Man” by Steve Harvey, written for those “who want the ring”, also for those who have the ring but don't understand how to keep it for long. The 2006-published novel “Dear John” written by American author Nicholas Spark is still up there among the best sellers, according to Virgin Megastore. The three-part novel begins with 23-year-old John Tyree, an army veteran on leave staying with his father in his hometown. It explores the common romance theme of love after loss, involving a couple who meet at a beach one summer and eventually become separated by war. A film adaptation of the novel, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, was released earlier this year.
