Devil Turns Preacher

Available for the first time in English, the only collection of plays by Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz remains a literary icon, as the only Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. A prolific writer of fiction, he has been celebrated across the globe for his novels and short stories, which have been translated into over 40 languages worldwide. What is known by very few is that he made a foray into drama: he wrote eight one-act plays in the 1960s and 1970s. They were performed in Cairo at the time and then largely forgotten - overtaken by his immensely successful reputation in fiction writing. These forgotten gems are worthy of rediscovery and showcase Mahfouz's bold storytelling, mastery of suspense and pace, and compelling characters. His plays reveal facets of his worldview in a stark clarity that strips away the realism of his novels and presents us with characters interacting in almost abstract settings, alongside plays that are more grounded in the settings with which readers are familiar from his novels. This is an indispensable read for any Mahfouz aficionado and anyone with an interest in his ideas and philosophy.