Interview with longlisted author Ayman Ragab Taher

When did you begin writing The Lamplighter and where did the inspiration for it come from?

I started writing The Lamplighter in the middle of 2022.

Throughout my reading of Egypt’s modern history, my attention was drawn to the fate of the soldiers in Ahmed Orabi’s army who were discharged after the army’s defeat and the British occupation of Egypt. They then turned to other professions such as lighting street poles, these are the lamplighters. This led me to write about them.

Did the novel take long to write and where were you when you finished it?

Writing The Lamplighter took about six continuous months.

I was living in my abundant library at home.

Do you have writing rituals?

I don’t have any specific writing rituals. But when I get an idea for a creative work, I write on a daily basis until I finish it.

What is your next literary project after this novel?

I am preparing for a new literary work that tackles the biography of a certain character and the social life they lived.