Where were you at the shortlist announcement and what was your reaction to the news?
That day I was at home getting ready to go to work. Sherif Joseph the head of Dar Tanweer in Egypt told me the news. I was a little surprised and asked him if he was sure.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted?
Mainly, it means that my readership has expanded to include Arab readers whom the novel hadn’t reached prior to the shortlist.
Why do you write? And for whom?
