Hannah Fielding's Blog, page 18

A taste of Egypt: Basbousa recipe

I love to cook, and I explore cuisines from all over the world in my kitchen. Writing a new novel is the perfect reason to try out recipes from a new country! For Song of the Nile, I returned to dishes from my childhood, growing up in Egypt – in particular, my favourite sweet treat, basbousa.

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Deciphering the Rosetta Stone: Jean-François Champollion

How is it we can understand the hieroglyphs of the ancient Egyptians today? Two amazing breakthroughs made this possible: the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and the work of French scholar Jean-François Champollion.

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Gezireh Island, Cairo

Gezireh Island is my favourite part of Cairo, for I lived here for many happy years with my husband and children. It’s a beautiful, multicultural place, and is home to several places of historical and cultural interest. Let me take you on a little tour…

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Amelia Edwards: Egyptologist and inspiration

Traveller, writer, Egyptologist – Amelia Edwards was a legend of the 19th century, and she continues to be an inspiration to this day.

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Chic and elegant: Post-war fashion

After the hardships of World War II, it was such a luxury for a young woman to purchase new, fashionable clothes. So it is for Aida in Song of the Nile, when she returns home to Egypt and explores the fashion scene of Cairo.

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1940s Cairo – a colourful, cosmopolitan city

‘Englishwomen in morning cottons, French and Italian girls in summer dresses, young Egyptian women with black abbas wrapped around their heads, men in tweeds or long white kaftans, a majestic sheikh in richly embroidered silks’ – welcome to the melting pot of 1940s Cairo.

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Bayt Al-Suhaymi: The House of Suhaymi in Cairo

One of my favourite buildings in Cairo is the Bayt Al-Suhaymi, by the Khan el Khalili bazaar and souk. With its shady latticed mashrabiya windows, it reminds me of illustrations in the Arabian Nights, tales I would read as a child.

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‘Eternal secrecy’: The Sphinx of Giza

One of the biggest and the oldest statues in the world, the Great Sphinx of Giza is renowned for its mystic look which speaks of eternal secrecy.

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Mysterious giants: The pyramids of Giza

‘Mute witnesses to centuries of history, presiding over the graceful shadowy sand hillocks of the Arabian Desert and dark clusters of palm trees, towering up into the clear sky.’ The pyramids of Giza – what better backdrop for the first kiss of Aida and Phares in my novel Song of the Nile?

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An epic love story or a marriage of convenience?

Is mutual understanding, respect and admiration enough to make a marriage work for Aida? Or does she need more – is love fundamental?

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