Arabic Literature: Fatima Does Not Dance the Tango

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Arabic Literature-Sindh Courier-1

‘Fatima Does Not Dance the Tango’ is a collection of selected stories by Ahmed Ragab Sheltout

Cairo

The Egyptian writer and critic Ahmed Ragab Sheltout has released a selected short story collection titled Fatima Does Not Dance the Tango, published by the Arab Press Agency – Publishers.

Sheltout’s stories are distinguished by their ability to blend a romantic sensibility with an existential undertone. He addresses profound human themes through a narrative style that relies on expressive conciseness and a sequence of scenes crafted in a cinematic language. His works focus on the concerns of the self and its relationship with the other, going beyond merely presenting characters in their social contexts to delve into their psychological depths, existential anxieties, and how these are reflected in their behaviors.

Writer Ahmed Ragab Sheltout- Sindh Courier
Writer Ahmed Ragab Sheltout, Egypt

Sheltout places special emphasis on observing the small details that expose the contradictions of social reality. Everyday scenes become windows for existential reflection and the search for life’s meaning. Despite the clear presence of individual suffering in his stories, they remain intricately tied to societal issues, making the characters mirrors that highlight collective struggles in a deeply human way that evokes empathy and stimulates thought.

The author’s language skillfully combines simplicity with symbolism, choosing his words with precision to convey emotional resonance that touches the reader’s heart. He frequently employs a technique of breaking the narrative into short scenes, giving the storytelling a flowing rhythm while allowing for pivotal moments of reflection. Each snapshot becomes a compact narrative unit carrying its unique significance. This approach creates a style reminiscent of cinematic screenwriting, guiding the reader through vivid flashes of the characters’ experiences, immersing them in their tensions and dreams simultaneously. Through this fusion of existential inquiry and artistic attention to detail, Sheltout offers captivating texts that view reality with an eye open to wonder while embracing humanity’s constant yearning for transcendence and freedom.

Ahmed Ragab Sheltout was born on April 17, 1962, in Abu Nomros, Giza Governorate. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Cairo University and emerged as one of the prominent names in the field of literary writing in Egypt and the Arab world. He has won several prestigious literary awards, including the Ihsan Abdel Quddous Prize in 2008 for his novel A State of Longing and the Sakia El Sawy Prize for Very Short Stories in 2010.

Sheltout has published several notable short story collections, including The Return to Farhana (1996), Madness and Fragrance (1998), The Bird’s Blood (2002), and An Hour Before Sleep (2009). His notable works also include the award-winning novel A State of Longing and children’s literature such as A Nest for Sparrows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheltout utilized his time to write and released Isolation Is Not Solitude, a book reflecting on the pandemic’s imposed isolation and its societal effects.

Regarding this collection, Sheltout recalls meeting the late writer Mohsen El-Khayyat in December 1985. He presented El-Khayyat with his story The Laughers, which the latter praised and promised to publish in the “Regional Writers” page of Al-Gomhuria newspaper. Two weeks later, El-Khayyat fulfilled his promise, providing Sheltout with the psychological encouragement to pursue a path he loved, albeit feared. In 2020, he published his collection A Prayer for the Keeper of the Shrine. Between these milestones, Sheltout spent a rich and fulfilling career, marked by numerous stories and collections, from which he selected the tales in this latest anthology.

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