Midnight in Cairo: The Female Stars of Egypt’s Roaring ’20s

PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022 – Honourable MentionLonglisted for the HWA Crown Awards 20221920s Cairo: a counterculture was on the rise. A passionate group of artists captivated Egyptian society in the city’s bars, hash dens and music halls – and the most dazzling and assertive were women.Midnight in Cairo tells the thrilling story of Egypt’s interwar nightlife, through the lives of these pioneering women, including dancehall impresario Badia Masabni, innovator of Egyptian cinema Aziza Amir and legendary singer Oum Kalthoum. They exploited the opportunities offered by this new era, while weathering its many prejudices. And they held the keys to this raucous, cosmopolitan city’s secrets.Introducing an eccentric cast of characters, Raphael Cormack brings to life a world of revolutionary ideas and provocative art. This is a story of modern Cairo as we have never heard it before.