Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller

Nadia Wassef details the establishment of Diwan, an independent bookstore in Cairo, Egypt, in this personal memoir. Founded in 2001 with her sister and a friend, the enterprise navigated various social, cultural, and bureaucratic hurdles. This volume describes how the co-founders built and maintained a literary space in a changing urban landscape. The narrative provides a realistic look at the daily operations of bookselling, team management, and customer interactions in Cairo. Wassef offers a perspective on the intersection of retail, community, and literature in the region.