Zainab

Mohammed Hussein Haikal’s first publication criticises the still-debated subject of arranged marriage. The protagonist, who the book is titled after, is forced to ignore her heart’s content, and enter a marriage based on tradition, not passion. The author was born in 1888. Just 22 years later, Haikal wrote Zainab whilst studying law in Paris. Perhaps his exposure to a more liberal, European culture awakened his critique of Egyptian society. The novel was first published in 1913 by Egyptian newspaper al-Jarida, and was labelled as the ‘first Egyptian novel’ because of its consistent use of the local vernacular. Due to its controversial theme, Haikal published it under the name of ‘Misri Fallah’. Zainab is a farm worker in the Egyptian countryside...