"Raphael Isaac is a literary translator based in Cairo, where he has lived for 20 years and been visiting for almost 40 years. He took Oriental Studies at Oxford and studied Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago. His published translations include the novels So You Can See by Mona Prince (AUC Press 2011) Ahlem Mostaghanemi’s Bridges of Constantine (Bloomsbury, 2014), George Yarak’s Guard of the Dead (AUC Press, 2019) and The Secrets of Folder 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata (Banipal Books, 2023). He has also translated the poetry collection Poems of Alexandria and New York by Ahmed Morsi (Banipal Books, 2021), and the non-fiction The Jewish Agency and Syria During the Arab Revolt in Palestine by Mahmoud Muhareb (I. B. Taurus, 2023). He was a contributing editor to Banipal Magazine."
The book recounts Zahran's experiences as a political prisoner in Egypt. It delves into themes of political oppression, human rights violations, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Zahran's writing is known for its raw honesty and emotional intensity, offering a powerful and moving account of his imprisonment. "THE ORDI" has gained significant recognition in the Arab world and is considered an important work of contemporary Arabic literature. It provides a valuable insight into the realities of political imprisonment and the struggle for freedom and justice. "THE ORDI" has had a significant impact on Arabic literature and continues to resonate with readers today. It has inspired countless writers and activists and remains a crucial document of the struggle for freedom and justice.
