Cairo's Downtown Hosts 2025 Literature Night

Czech Centres, together with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Cairo, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Cairo and NORLA (Norwegian Literature Abroad), and the Instituto Cervantes de El Cairo, organized the 2025 edition of European Literature Night, bringing contemporary European literature to three cultural venues in Downtown Cairo. The three venues are the Factory, Rawabet Art Space, and Access Art Space. 

All three locations hosted readings simultaneously.

Three Egyptian artistic figures read excerpts from works by three contemporary

European authors: Heaven Has No Ground by Hana Andronikova — read by actress Nanda Mohammad, I Live a Life Like Yours by Jan Grue — read by cultural journalist Islam Wahban, and The Hypochondriac Hitman by Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel — read by actor Ahmed Yahya.

The evening offered an opportunity to encounter new European literary voices and to

reflect on themes of identity, resilience, and human experience through the perspectives of the chosen authors.

“Since 2006, European Literature Night has been organized by the Czech Centres network to present contemporary European literature to international audiences.

 The Cairo edition continues this tradition for the fourth time in cooperation with local partners and cultural institutions,” said Tereza Svášková from the Czech Centres.

Ambassador Erik Husem, Ambassador of Norway in Cairo, stated, “Norway is proud to

take part in the European Literature Night in Cairo, building on the strong cultural ties we deepened as Guest of Honor at the Cairo International Book Fair last year. 

This event underlined the power of translation, an essential bridge that carries Norwegian literature across languages and borders. 

Through translated works and organizing events like the European Literature Night, we bring Norwegian stories to wider audiences fostering dialogue and mutual understanding. 

Promoting Norwegian literature abroad is not only about showcasing our authors; it’s about connecting cultures and sharing human experiences through the shared language of storytelling.”

“Literature Night in downtown Cairo is a collective activity, similar to the classic 'Nuites

blanches' (white nights), in which art, culture and imagination transform cities into living

galleries or spaces for bringing the Egyptian public closer to a selection of recent literary

works translated into Arabic through dramatised readings in various venues around the

city. 

It is a great opportunity to get to know new, recent and highly promising authors, a

night to enjoy art and literature," says José Manuel Alba Pastor, director of the Instituto

Cervantes (Spanish Cultural Centre) in Cairo. 

"The work presented by our centre, The Hypocondriac Hitman", he added, "is a fascinating and entertaining novel which, under the guise of a detective story, conceals a veritable lesson in philosophy through the appearance of an anthology of famous, more or less imaginary, sick people.”