The quarter

stories

"Meet the people of Cairo's Gamaliya quarter. There is Nabqa, son of Adam the waterseller who can only speak truths; the beautiful and talented Tawhida who does not age with time; Ali Zaidan, the gambler, late to love; and Boss Saqr who stashes his money above the bath. A neighbourhood of demons, dancing and sweet halva, the quarter keeps quiet vigil over the secrets of all who live there.This collection by pre-eminent Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz was recently discovered among his old papers. Found with a slip of paper titled 'for publishing 1994', they are published here for the first time. Resplendent with Mahfouz's delicate and poignant observations of everyday happenings, these lively stories take the reader deep into the beating heart of Cairo."

The oven -- Your lot in life -- Pursuit -- Son of the Quarter -- Nabqa in the Old Fort -- The scream -- Namla's prophesy -- Bad luck -- Shakhun -- The arrow -- The whisper of the stars -- Our Father Igwa -- The storm -- The end of Boss Saqr -- Life is a game -- Late night secret -- The praayer of Sheikh Qaf -- Tawhida -- Nobel Prize for Literature acceptance speech -- Selected handwritten stories.