This boxset consists of a collection of newspaper articles and earlier essays, presented in four volumes. Each volume is introduced by Professor Rasheed El-Enany (University of Exeter). Volume I compiles Mahfouz's early non-fiction writings mostly authored during the 1930s, offering a rare glimpse into the early development of the renowned author. Volume II is a collection of essays Mahfouz published from 1971 to 1981 in the Al-Ahram newspaper where he had taken up an appointment as a member of the editorial staff after retiring from his job as a civil servant. Volume III consists of newspaper articles published between 1982 and 1988, coinciding with the early years of Hosni Mubarak's presidency, described by Mahfouz as an 'unhurried democracy'. Volume IV brings together Mahfouz's articles written from 1989 and the knife attack in October 1994 that almost ended his life.

Introduction by: Rasheed El-Enany
Translated by: Neil Hewison, Aran Byrne, Russell Harris