2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival

Egypt: A Devastating Portrait In 2002, The Yacoubian Building was an international bestseller, establishing Alaa Al Aswany as one of the Arab world’s most influential voices. Since then, Egypt has changed radically. However, Al Aswany’s new novel The Automobile Club of Egypt represents another satire on his country’s modern situation. Today he discusses his book and freedom of speech in a post-2011 Egypt whose government has tried to silence him.