Iman Mersal's Book Explores Legacy of Novelist Enayat al-Zayyat and Literary Canon
Iman Mersal, an Egyptian poet and scholar, has authored a book titled 'Traces of Enayat' that delves into the life and legacy of Enayat al-Zayyat, a young Cairo novelist who died by suicide in 1963. Mersal's work is a blend of memoir, detective story, biography, feminist reassessment, and literary criticism. The book, which won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2021, seeks to reclaim Enayat's narrative by exploring her life and the circumstances surrounding her death. Mersal's research involved interviewing Enayat's family and friends, examining archives, and visiting significant locations in Cairo. The book challenges the traditional literary canon by highlighting the exclusion of Enayat's work and the complexities of her life, including her struggles with Egypt's divorce laws and societal stigmas around depression. 
