Borders Literature for All Nations 2016 is a Facebook site with the mission: In 2016, a forum for engaging with important issues and events in Africa’s history as recorded or reflected in good books.
Cairo’s Street Stories (AUC Press, Cairo, Egypt) was chosen for review by well-known and esteemed reviewer of African literature, Olatoun Williams. She writes:
We walk about the City of a Thousand Stories, ‘listening’ to Lababidi ‘speak’ with refreshing clarity on a wide range of topics spanning that history. What I have learned from her is fascinating about the evolution of women’s rights and the liberation of women embodied in the full figure of singer – el Sitt – Umm Kulthum….
…Though Lesley Lababidi does not take us on a linear journey, the tour is well-planned. She does not make it difficult to take in the plethora of evidence of foreign occupation manifested not only politically, but in art, language, education, urban planning and in the fact and manner of economic exploitation. Looking at the timeline of foreign invasions through her eyes, it is easy to see why Egypt’s raging identity crises are as inevitable as the annual flooding of the Nile.
Courtesy of Olatoun Williams
My response to Olatoun for choosing to review Cairo’s Street Stories:
Your intellectual critic of CSS is beyond my admiration, beyond my gratitude, almost beyond words…. for your analytical approach as using CSS as a backdrop to study other literary books, that of the past- Mahfouz- and the moving, contemporary poetry of Zahery overwhelmingly left me shaking with delight, perspiring with the desire to walk the Cairo streets, and with pride : I am very, very honored that you chose CSS to examine the intricate texture and history of Cairo.
Read the full review here and here.
All Photographs and text are under international copyright laws. No re-use without the written permission of Lesley Lababidi 2023.
nomad4now 
Thank you Lesley for including me in your celebration of your book critique! I can hear in your “voice” how moved you are by the review and rightly so, you are a fantastic writer! I am inspired! Take care!Bruce
From: nomad4now To: bruces416@yahoo.com Sent: Friday, August 5, 2016 9:59 AM Subject: [New post] Borders Literature for All Nations and Olatoun Williams Review Cairo’s Street Stories #yiv2437590048 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv2437590048 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv2437590048 a.yiv2437590048primaryactionlink:link, #yiv2437590048 a.yiv2437590048primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv2437590048 a.yiv2437590048primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv2437590048 a.yiv2437590048primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv2437590048 WordPress.com | kobrigama posted: “Borders Literature for All Nations 2016 is a Facebook site with the mission: In 2016, a forum for engaging with important issues and events in Africa’s history as recorded or reflected in good books.Cairo’s Street Stories (AUC Press, Cairo, Egypt) was c” | | Respond to this post by replying above this line |
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Borders Literature for All Nations 2016 is a Facebook site with the mission:
Thank you Bruce for your immediate reply and thank you for the lovely compliment. I am very excited that for Olatoun’s review.
L.
Lesley, congratulations!
What a moving review. Congratulations,Lesley!
Yes, Olatoun is extremely thorough.
Thank you Joyce.
Yep. That’s Toun for you – reviewer par excellence. The more complex the material, the more sublime the result. She wants me to comment on her review. But what could I possibly add? She’s said it all – and that so much more eloquently than I ever could. x Ayo.
Sent from my iPhone
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Thank you for the support. Writers know what writers go through. Olatoun’s review is incredible. So many people have responded. I am very, very honored. L.
Wonderful endorsement of a major accomplishment. So proud if you, Lesley
Wow! Olatoun’s review of CSS is really appealing. In fact it has opened the door for further reviews. Not only CSS, the Paddle also depicts the image of ‘woman’ as brave, dogged, strong and capable of handling the course of nature as well as speaking the unspeakable, and confronting difficulties alone. It has remake woman to appear as a ‘wo=super man’. Encouraging women to be a self -reliant, honest, just and brave has been the major theme of her writings. One of my reasons of psychoanalyzing the Paddle is to introduce you to the world of literature. Literature is life, it is the essence of our existence. You are gradually becoming literary giant than just a historian (of Egypt, Nigeria, Syria, Ghana).
Murtala, Thank you for your encouragement and support. You contributions to this site has been invaluable. Thank you. L
Lesley, this Is a most excellent critique and one of which you should be proud. Congratulations, and, well done my friend!
Sally, I really appreciate your comment. Yes, I am very honored by this review. Thank you. Lesley