Born in Alfaroniya Village in the Nile Delta of Egypt in Oct. 22, 1974, Emad Fouad was raised in the city of Shobra Elkhema. He has been working as a freelance journalist in Arabic newspapers and magazines since 1996. His poetry has been translated into several languages, among which are English, French, Dutch, Persian, German, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Latvian and Russian. He has been living in Antwerp, Belgium since 2004, but he writes only in his native tongue, Arabic. His poems have been published in several Arab newspapers and literary magazines, among which are Aladab (Lebanon,) Nizwa (Oman,) Mina (USA,) The Poetic Movement (Mexico,) Features (Sweden,) Annahar (Lebanon,) Assafir (Lebanon,) Alakhbar (Lebanon,) Addustour (Jordon,) Alayam (Bahrain,) Sheair (Egypt,) Alhelal (Egypt,) Alquds Alaraby (UK,) Almustaqbal (Lebanon,) Alkitaba Alokhra, (Egypt), and Alhayat Aljadeda (Palestine).
Poetry Collections:
Ten Ways to Mutilate a Corpse, Dar Aladab, Beirut, 2010
Silk, Dar Alnahda, Beirut, 2007
With a Blue Bruise from the Bite of Remorse, Dar Sharqiat, Cairo, 2005
An Old Don Juan Retired, Dar Sharqiat, Cairo, 2002
Ghosts Hurt by Lighting, Diwan Alkitaba Alokhra, Cairo, 1998
Anthologies:
Fouad edited and prefaced the first anthology of Egyptian prose poetry in Arabic, Keepers of Shadows… Guards of Solitudes too, Gamaiyet Albait for Culture and Arts, 1st edition, Algiers, 2007.
Along with poems by Belgian poet Eva Cox, a selection from Fouad's poetry collection Silk has been issued in Dutch by the Belgian Cactus Flower Troupe under the title of Zijde, Antwerp, 2008.
Forthcoming: Blue Anemone: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabic Poetry, edited by Fouad in Dutch, Amsterdam-Brussels, 2011.
Awards and Honors:
Manuscript of Ghosts Hurt by Lighting, Alhayai Alamma Liqosor Althakafa Award for Arabic poetry, Cairo 1995.
"Braiding their Boys on One Page," Best poem in Akhbar Aladab newspaper's first poetry competition in Arabic poetry, Cairo 1996.
"Like a Single Headspring in the Sand," runner-up, El Hizjra Literatuurprijs Foundation competition in Arabic Poetry, April 2005.
With a Blue Bruise from the Bite of Remorse, Tanja Poetry Award, April 2006.
Silk, First Award in Arabic Poetry from El Hizjra Literatuurprijs, April 2007.
Festivals:
The 36th International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Nethrelnads, June 2005. He was the only Arab poet participating among ninety-two other poets from all over the world. The festival has published two collections of his poems in English translated by Mona Zaki, Rotterdam, 2005 and in Dutch translated by Kees Nijland, Rotterdam, 2005. The festival has also issued an anthology which included Fouad's poems, "A Funeral," "Someone Else," "Three," and "A Dance" from his poetry collection With a Blue Bruise from the Bite of Remorse.
Hotel Parnassus, 36e Poetry International Festival-Rotterdam, De Arbeiderspers – Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2005
Arabic Literature Salon, Brussels November, 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Second International Cultural Festival of Literature and Young Writers, Algiers, June 2009. Attended two poetry readings along with other Arab poets.
The Youth Summer festival sponsored by Bahraini Ministry of Culture and Media, Summer of Bahrain Festival, June 2009.
Riga Poetry Days Festival, sponsored every year by Latvian Writers' Association and a number of cultural civil societies, Riga, Latvia, September 2009. The first Arab poet to participate in this festival since 1965.
Espace Senghor Festival, Brussels, December 2009.
BorgerRio Festival. A reading from his poetry collection Silk, June 2010.
Karogs, Riga, Latvia, October 2009.
The International Poetry Festival "Curtea De Arges", 15th Edition, Romania, July 2011. Antologia Festivalului Internaţional "Nopţile de Poezie de la Curtea de Argeş"- ediţia a XIV-a, 2010.
Einfach SO. Gedichte, Erscheint anlässlich des 5. Und 6. Deutsch-ArabischenLyrik-salons in Bonn und Aachen 2012.
Translations:
"Truth: I Have Five Fingers on Each Hand!" from poetry collection Ghosts Hurt by Lighting. Angry Voices: An Anthology of the Off-Beat New Egyptian Poets, Mohamed Enani & Mohamed Metwalli, University of Arkansas, USA, 2003.
"A Day in a Little Angel's Life," from poetry collection An Old Don Juan Retired. Deus ex Machina, Belgium, December 2003.
"A Day in a Little Angel's Life," from poetry collection An Old Don Juan Retired. Banipal, No. 21, UK, Autumn 2004.
"Like a Single Headspring in the Sand," from poetry collection With a Blue Bruise from the Bite of Remorse. Vrijpostige brieven in een dwaze tijd, El Hizjra Literatuurprijs, Van Gennep Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2005.
"A Funeral," "Someone Else," "Three," and "A Dance" from his poetry collection With a Blue Bruise from the Bite of Remorse. Hotel Parnassus, 36e Poetry International Festival-Rotterdam, De Arbeiderspers – Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2005.
"Alone in its Remote Corner" and "Truth: I Have Five Fingers on Each Hand!" from Ghosts Hurt by Lighting. Banipal, No. 25, UK, Spring 2006.
"Scars," "Blame," "Pregnancy," "A Will," "Forgetfulness," "Truce," "Failure," "Rustle," "Sting," "Sighing," "Greed," "Absence," "Cruelty," and "Malice" From poetry collection Silk. Het alphabet van de rivier, EL Hizjra Literatuurprijs, Van Gennep Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2007.
"A Quarrel," "Writing on a Tomb," "One Time in Not Enough," "Humiliation," "As If He is Going to Call Someone," "Overshadowed by a Cloud," "A Pot of Pottery," "An Inquiry," "A Counter for Ablution," "Sperm," "What was Read on Tombstone," and "Crown of Shame" From poetry collection Ten Ways to Mutilate a Corpse, Karogs, Riga, Latvia, October 2009.
Activities and Contributions:
In December 2004, Fouad has established Diwan, the first contemporary Egyptian poetry website: http://egyptianpoetry.arabblogs.com
Along with poems by Belgian poet Eva Cox, selections from Fouad's poetry collection Silk has been presented in a scenographic theatrical play produced three times in Belgium (2007, 2008, 2009) sponsored by the Cultural Administration of Antwerp City and the Belgian Cactus Flower Troupe and directed by Iraqi artist Hazem Kamal Aldin, with the accompanying zither of artist Osama Abdul Rasool.
Invited by Fonds voor de letteren Foundation, Foaud attended a reading in which he read selections from his poetry collection Silk, Amsterdam, 2008.
