Al Balad Cafe

What was the first book to be borrowed from the Al Balad cafe’s new lending library? Lolita, of course. What was the first one to be added? A book on how to organize closets. Funny stuff.

 

The cafe staff are excited about the project, and also put out a project book donation box. Apparently book donation is kind of a new concept in Egypt, and it was quite a fun experience translating the term into perfect classical Arabic with the help of a friend. Here are some pics of the collection. If you’re in Cairo–please consider borrowing or lending a book!

Some Photos

Used book seller in Cairo.

These are from Al-Azbakiya, the used book market in Cairo. It used to be huge, now its two rows of sellers.  They have lots of English titles, as well as Arabic ones, but their condition tends to be poor. Classic fiction is much more prevalent than recently published contemporary fiction, and prices tend to be between $1 and $4 per used English-language paperback.

Meet our partner cafe

I’m sitting in Cairo, enjoying the atmosphere at the Al Balad Cultural Center and Bookstore, one of two 100 Books knowledge cafe partners we’ll be establishing on this trip. The center is at 31 Mohammed Mahmoud Street, a busy road in downtown Cairo which borders the leafy campus of the American University of Cairo. Around me, in a series of high-ceilinged rooms, is a large collection of Arabic-language books for sale, as well as a few hundred English-language books and a beautifully displayed CD collection of Arabic music. Art created by young local artists adorns the walls. There are colorful caricatures of famous Egyptians in watercolor, oil paintings of tired Egyptian farmers, and delicate wood carvings. There is a quiet buzz as people discuss work and chat with friends in English and Arabic.

 

This place is a kind of oasis from the dusty, loud streets, and young, intellectual-minded Egyptians sometimes spend the whole day here working at tables and drinking coffee. There are film showings and a great interest in what’s new in literature. In short, El Balad is an perfect partner for this project.

We’ve agreed to start a small English-language lending library here on Thursday, as the very first effort of the 100 Books Project. The young people who run the cafe are excited. They’ve chosen the titles they are most interested in from the 100 Books list—books they haven’t been able to stock here—like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Farenheit 451, and the Life of Pi. Each book is going to have a 100 Books promotional sticker and a description of why the book is a great read. The idea is to add to business by creating another attraction for patrons. 

This is kind of a test case, as is the other 100 Books Cafe being established in the isolated oasis of Siwa this week, some 8 hours across the desert from here.  Will people read the books? Will more books be donated? What are the best lending policies? We will soon know more.

 

Traveling to Egypt

From Sharon Otterman, project founder:

I’m flying to Egypt tonight to get this very young project of the ground. I’ll be in Cairo May 15-23, in Siwa May 24-29, and back in Cairo May 29-June 3.

I’ll be keeping a record of my trip here on this blog. Starting a project which was just a thought a year ago is exciting and scary at the same time, and I hope to share some of those experiences here.

A special thanks to Mounir Nematalla for backing this idea and supporting the creation of the first full library of books in Siwa, Egypt. I also have some books for library at the Al Balad Cafe in Cairo.

This is learning by doing. Thanks for checking in.