Egypt + 100

About

Egypt + 100 poses a question to twelve contemporary Egyptian authors: what might your country look like in the year 2111 – exactly a century after the failed Tahrir Square Revolution? Might Egypt still be in the grip of ‘friendly authoritarianism’, clinging to power with all the weapons of futurism at its disposal: protest-avoidant architecture, excessive surveillance, the slow replacement of the outside world with the virtual one. Or might other historical forces come into play, pairing pragmatism with tolerance, and realising some of the lost aspirations of the long-cancelled ‘Arab Spring’.

Covering a range of styles – from SF noir, to supernatural horror, to political farce – these stories use the blank canvas of the future to process recent traumas that Egypt has yet to come to terms with. Along the way, we encounter gladiatorial entertainments, anti-procreation resistance movements, the decline of Cairo into a lawless wasteland, far from the gated security of the New Capital, and the simultaneous flooding of lower Egypt with the drying up of the Nile. Each story offers an object lesson in the strange logic of authoritarianism, and how, as the editor puts it, politicians’ fantasies ‘eventually become the citizens’ worst nightmares.’ 

Translated by: Majd Abu Shawish, Robin Moger, Andrew Leber, Elisabeth Jaquette, Mohammed Ghalayini, Raphael Cohen, Raph Cormack, Paul Starkey, Mayada Ibrahim, Basma Ghalayini. Maisa Almanasreh, and Rana Asfour.

Press

‘Given the increasing visibility of Arabfuturism as a nascent cultural movement, the time is ripe for such an anthology….  Whether morose or detached, fervent or ironic, all the writers seem united by their longing to wrest Egypt out of its post-revolutionary gloom — the disillusionment, neoliberalism, and foreclosure of futurity into which it plunges ever more deeply.’ - The Markaz Review.

‘Taken together, these twelve stories, crafted in markedly different styles, create a portrait of the anxieties of different contemporary Egyptian writers: of the loss of community and shared memory; of extremes of surveillance and control; of the devastating potential of climate change; and of future versions of Egyptian cities that don’t leave room for people to gather, to protest, and to forge new demands for the future.’ - ArabLit

‘Western writers have been conjuring up dystopian world orders in which your every move is monitored by state surveillance, every written word censored and every spoken sentence informed on, but Egyptians have been living this authoritarian reality for the past seven decades... All 12 writers are highly talented at making what should be your worst nightmare seem plausible.’ - The New Arab

'Both immersive and inventive. [These stories] conjure up bold new realities where electric trains criss-cross the sky, VAR in homes resolves marital disputes and technology calculates not only life expectancy but also how long it will take for a country to see change. But throughout the book, imprints of the world around us are always discernible. For as Ahmed Naji puts it in his introduction, these stories offer “a series of visions of the future inspired by the dreams and nightmares of the present.” - The National

‘This is an interesting project that is rooted in the here and now, but gives wonderful licence to authors to invent a future - often with a dystopian edge, it has to be said - that provides a format for creativity and vision. These stories will appeal to readers who are interested in modern writing coming out of Egypt, with a strong sense of the country both modern and futuristic.’ - Trip Fiction

‘[Egypt + 100] explores the idea that places are more than just physical locations; they are living, breathing entities that carry the weight of human memories and emotions. Even when they evolve, their spirit remains intact… In the end, after time has erased much of what once was, it is the stories that keep us connected to our past. Through these stories, we come to understand that what we truly hold onto is not the land itself, but the spirit it represents.’ - Egyptian Streets

‘As editor, Ahmed Naji has compiled a selection of stories about the nature of the work to be done in Egypt… a testament to the vitality of Egyptian science fiction… It’s lessons mater for all of us.’ - Locus Magazine
 

Egypt + 100 was featured on Words Without Borders' Summer Watchlist 2024.