Curly

Ahmed Douma is the Egyptian author of two poetry collections in Arabic, Soutak Talee (Your Voice Is Heard) and Curly, which blend revolutionary zeal with reflections on freedom, oppression, and the human spirit. A contributing writer at The New Arab and Sotour, he was a ten-year political prisoner in Egypt between 2013 and 2023. Curly was published while he was still incarcerated, and the collection was immediately banned in Egypt. Translations of Douma’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Poetry Northwest, Words Without Borders, AGNI, and Protean Magazine. (updated 4/2025)

Abdelrahman ElGendy is the author of Huna (Hogarth, Penguin Random House, forthcoming 2026), a memoir that explores the politics of dissent and erasure through the lens of his six-year political incarceration in Egypt. His work appears in The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, AGNI, The Nation, Guernica, and elsewhere. His poetry and prose translations from Arabic have appeared or are forthcoming in Ploughshares, Poetry Northwest, Literary Hub, Words Without Borders, and elsewhere. ElGendy’s work has attracted fellowships from, among other organizations, The Elizabeth George Foundation, The de Groot Foundation, and The Arab American National Museum. Winner of the 2024 Samir Kassir Press Freedom Award, he is a 2024–25 Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University. (updated 4/2025)