The Essential Yusuf Idris - Edited by Denys Johnson-Davies

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Maeve

An edited collection presenting key stories by Egyptian writer Yusuf Idris, framed by an extended introduction that traces his life and literary formation. The introduction recounts his early years, medical studies, political engagement, imprisonment, and persistent opposition to those in power, alongside the cultural conditions shaping his work. It also explains his emergence as a creative force, his publication milestones, and his critical stance toward a stagnant Arabic literary tradition.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages356

Reading Time9 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Introduction

Selected Stories

Introduction

Copyright © 2009 by The American University in Cairo Press 113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 [www.aucpress.com](www.aucpress.com) “The Cheapest Nights,”“You Are Everything to Me,”“The Errand,”“Hard Up,”“The Funeral Ceremony,”“All on a Summer’s Night,”“The Caller in the Night,”“The Dregs of the City,”“Did You Have to Turn on the Light, Li-Li?,”“Death from Old Age,”“The Shame,” from The Cheapest Nights and other stories, translated by Wadida Wassef (London: Peter Owen Ltd, 1978) . Copyright © 1978 by Peter Owen Ltd/UNESCO. By permission of Peter Owen Ltd. “His Mother,” translated by Catherine Cobham, from The Edinburgh Review, no. 72, 1986. Copyright © 1986 by Catherine Cobham. By permission of Catherine Cobham. “An Egyptian Mona Lisa,” translated by Roger Allen and Christopher Tingley, from Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthology, edited by Salma Khadra Jayyusi (New York: Columbia University Press, 2005) . Copyright © 2005 by Columbia University Press. By permission of Salma Khadra Jayyusi. “The Chair Carrier,” from Arabic Short Stories, translated by Denys JohnsonDavies (London: Quartet Books, 1983) . Copyright © 1983 by Denys JohnsonDavies. “Rings of Burnished Brass,” from Rings ofBurnished Brass and other stories, translated by Catherine Cobham (Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1990) . Copyright © 1984 by Catherine Cobham. By permission of Catherine Cobham. “The Shaykh Shaykha,” translated by Ragia Fahmi and Saneya Shaarawi Lanfranchi, from Flights of Fantasy, edited by Ceza Kassem and Malak Hashem (Cairo: Elias Modern Publishing House, 1985, 1996) . Copyright © 1985, 1996 by Elias Modern Publishing House. By permission of Elias Modern Publishing House. “It’s Not Fair,” from Under the Naked Sky: Short Stories from the Arab World, translated by Denys Johnson-Davies (Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2000). Copyright © 2000 by Denys Johnson-Davies. “House of Flesh,” from Egyptian Short Stories, translated by Denys JohnsonDavies (London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1978) . Copyright © 1978 by Denys Johnson-Davies. “Farahat’s Republic,” from Modern Arabic Short Stories, selected and translated by Denys Johnson-Davies (London: Oxford University Press, 1967) . Copyright © 1967 by Oxford University Press. By permission of Oxford University Press. “The Greatest Sin of All,” translated by Mona Mikhail, from In the Eye ofthe Beholder: Tales ofEgyptian Life from the Writings of Yusuf Idris, edited by Roger Allen (Minneapolis: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1978) . Copyright © 1978 by Bibliotheca Islamica. By permission of Mona Mikhail. City ofLove and Ashes, translated by R. Neil Hewison (Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1999) . Copyright © 1999 by the American University in Cairo Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Dar el Kutub No. 16149/08 eISBN: 978 161 797 167 9 Dar el Kutub Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson-Davies, Denys The Essential Yusuf Idris / Edited by Denys Johnson-Davies.—Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008 [p. cm](p. cm). eISBN: 978 161 797 167 9 1. Arabic fiction I. Johnson-Davies, Denys (ed.) 892.708 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 14 13 12 11 10 09 Designed by Sally Boylan Printed in Egypt Contents Introduction The Cheapest Nights You Are Everything to Me The Errand Hard Up The Funeral Ceremony All on a Summer’s Night The Caller in the Night The Dregs of the City Did You Have to Turn on the Light, Li-Li? Death from OldAge The Shame His Mother An Egyptian Mona Lisa The Chair Carrier Rings ofBurnished Brass The Shaykh Shaykha It’s Not Fair House ofFlesh Farahat’s Republic The Greatest Sin ofAll from City ofLove andAshes Introduction Yusuf Idris was b

FAQs

Who edited The Essential Yusuf Idris?

The book is edited by Denys Johnson-Davies, as stated in the cataloging and title page information.

What does the Introduction about Yusuf Idris cover?

It covers his birth and upbringing, student years, political involvement, and periods of arrest and imprisonment, linking these experiences to his writing career.

What literary concerns are highlighted about Yusuf Idris's views?

He believed Arabic literature had become stagnant and needed revolution, criticizing the tendency to rely on the past and the gap between educated classes and ordinary people.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Maeve