Hunger
Mohamed El-Bisatie
Hunger (Al Adab, Beirut, 2008) is a detailed account of the ordinary lives of those at the very bottom of society, sufferers of continuous hunger. Through a detached yet intimate portrait of the day-to-day lives, Egyptian author Mohamed El-Bisatie explores how, despite their sufferings, these neglected people are still able to reflect on human existence and ask questions about their surroundings.
Hunger was translated into English by Denys Johnson-Davies by the AUC Press in 2008. Further translations have appeared since the book was shortlisted for IPAF in 2009. To find out about more, visit the Translations section.
Nomination
2009 Shortlist
Mohamed El-Bisatie
Country of origin Egypt
About the author
Mohamed El-Bisatie was born in Egypt and began his publishing career in 1962, writing for a number of newspapers and magazines. El-Bisatie wrote 14 novels and had his work translated into a number of languages including English, French, Italian and Spanish. He also received the Sultan Owais award in 2000 and the Prize for Sawiris in 2009. He died in July 2012, at the age of 75.