Egypt has suffered more ordeals than the other countries to get where it is.

Poetry is a form of mathematics, a highly rigorous relationship with words.

I'd thought sexuality was instinctive or natural, but it's profoundly linked to inner security and cultural context.

We must have our say, not through violence, aggression or fear. We must speak out calmly and forcefully. We shall only be able to enter the new world era if we agree to engage in dialogue with the other side.

Be vigilant, for nothing one achieves lasts forever.

We do not have many intellectuals who can speak out for us internationally. We have no writers who are recognized, respected and loved outside the Arab world.

In the 70s I was in exile; every time I went back I wondered if they'd take my passport away.