A CLASSIC BACK IN PRINT : A classic of Arabic literature by an iconic Egyptian writer, known as the "Dean of Arabic Letters," it has been unavailable in print for the last ten years. It sold over 1100 copies on Bookscan in a short time when it was first published in 2010. TELLS A RAGS TO RICHES STORY : This autobiographical "novel" tells Hussein's own story of being blind from early childhood and rising from humble beginnings to pursue a distinguished career in Egyptian public life. NEW FOREWORD : With a new foreword by the revered scholar Roger Allen who translated classic works from the Arabic ( The Arabic Literary Heritage, The Arabic Novel, and Hadith 'Isa ibn Hisham ) and retired from the University of Pennsylvania after 43 years of teaching Arabic and Comparative Literature. FOR READERS OF : Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy , Tayeb Salih's Seasons of Migration to the North , Abdulrahman Munif's Cities of Salt, Sadegh Hedayat's The Blind Owl and Paul Scott's The Raj Quartet. PUBLICITY TIE-INS : born: November 15, 1889; and died: October 28, 1973 (age 83 years) both opportunities to promote. COMPLETE REDESIGN : The previous edition's text is being completely re-edited and re-designed. EDELWEISS DRC : Available early July 2025.

DRC's of earlier edition available upon request.