Chicago

Alaa al Aswany was born in 1957. He is a dentist by profession, and for many years practised in the Yacoubian Building, which was to form the setting for his bestselling novel of the same name. He has written prolifically for Egyptian newspapers on politics, literature and social issues and his second novel, 'Chicago', was published by Fourth Estate in 2008.

'Turned his yarn-spinning gifts to a story of Egyptian medics and students in the Windy City.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent (Book of the Year) 'The only Arabic-language novel to have created greater buzz and sell more copies since "The Yacoubian Building" is Al Aswany's second novel, "Chicago"...a rare opportunity to consider the contemporary Egyptian condition.' Financial Times 'Al Aswany's rich tableaux of everyday lives and devastating social commentary have made him a wildly popular novelist in his native Egypt and the best-selling Arab writer both in the Middle East and abroad...'Chicago' is a powerful indictment of dictatorship and its corrosive effect on human dignity.' Time 'Aswany's novel achieves something surprising, which is to turn great American city into a little Egypt. Aswany's rolling cast of characters and panoramic vision tells us that he wants to investigate the human condition on the largest scale and as in soap operas, he wants to make the spectator feel like part of the family. His book resides firmly within the mainstream of Egyptian fiction, but it is also an unusual and striking post-9/11 American novel.' Chandrahas Choudhury, Scotsman 'His skill in storytelling means that you enjoy reading about even the most unpleasant of the characters and one of the later chapters has such a blood-pumping climax, it should have had a publisher's warning. This is politically charged writing that remembers the essential humanity of its characters.' Tania Ahsan, Metro 'A wonderful storyteller and a cynically astute observer of human folly and frailty.' Francis King, Spectator 'A natural storyteller, the episodic structure lending itself to a series of cliff-hangers worthy of soap opera. A powerful political page-turner.' Amber Pearson, Daily Mail

'Turned his yarn-spinning gifts to a story of Egyptian medics and students in the Windy City.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent (Book of the Year)

'The only Arabic-language novel to have created greater buzz and sell more copies since "The Yacoubian Building" is Al Aswany's second novel, "Chicago"...a rare opportunity to consider the contemporary Egyptian condition.' Financial Times

'Al Aswany's rich tableaux of everyday lives and devastating social commentary have made him a wildly popular novelist in his native Egypt and the best-selling Arab writer both in the Middle East and abroad...'Chicago' is a powerful indictment of dictatorship and its corrosive effect on human dignity.' Time

'Aswany's novel achieves something surprising, which is to turn great American city into a little Egypt. Aswany's rolling cast of characters and panoramic vision tells us that he wants to investigate the human condition on the largest scale and as in soap operas, he wants to make the spectator feel like part of the family. His book resides firmly within the mainstream of Egyptian fiction, but it is also an unusual and striking post-9/11 American novel.' Chandrahas Choudhury, Scotsman

'His skill in storytelling means that you enjoy reading about even the most unpleasant of the characters and one of the later chapters has such a blood-pumping climax, it should have had a publisher's warning. This is politically charged writing that remembers the essential humanity of its characters.' Tania Ahsan, Metro

'A wonderful storyteller and a cynically astute observer of human folly and frailty.' Francis King, Spectator

'A natural storyteller, the episodic structure lending itself to a series of cliff-hangers worthy of soap opera. A powerful political page-turner.' Amber Pearson, Daily Mail