Most recent articles by Susanne Schanda
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Arab theatre at the Zurich TheaterspektakelBetween coma and protest
Political theatre from the Arab world five years after the Arabellion: from a country in a permanent vegetative state comes the piece "While I Was Waiting" by the Syrian playwright Mohammad Al Attar. And in "Zig Zig," an Egyptian theatre group headed by Laila Soliman tells the tale of a gang rape. By Susanne Schanda
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Interview with the Egyptian author Youssef Rakha"Taken together, these things would make up home..."
The Egyptian poet, essayist, novelist and journalist Youssef Rakha moves between two worlds. He aims to show his Western readers an eclectic Cairo beyond common cliches. Interview by Susanne Schanda
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Egyptian LiteratureNew Departures, New Visions
Current novels from Egypt tell about people's daily struggle for survival, about their suffering in the face of state violence and corruption, and about managing to get by with the help of tricks and humour. Egyptian literature is available in translation in various forms – from the spontaneous blog to the social novel. By Susanna Schanda
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Interview with Youssef ZiedanRevolution Means Breaking with Authority
Youssef Ziedan is a bestselling Egyptian author, philosopher and scholar of history. He is also director of the Manuscript Division of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria. In this interview with Susanne Schanda, he says that being revolutionary is also about asking questions of authority
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Interview with Egyptian presidential candidate Khaled Ali''I'm expecting a second revolutionary wave''
At aged 40, Khaled Ali is the youngest candidate standing in the Egyptian presidential elections. The left wing lawyer and human rights activist enjoys widespread support among the more disadvantaged members of society. Susanne Schanda met Khaled Ali at his Cairo office
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Interview with Samar YazbekConveying the Suffering of the Syrian People
In her "Damascene Diaries", the Syrian writer and journalist Samar Yazbek documents the first months of the revolution. Since she has been in exile, she sees how Syrians have been left utterly alone. She has made it her task to give them a voice. Susanne Schanda met the author for an interview in Zurich