After completing her degree in psychology from the University of Mustansiriya, while at the same time working as editor-in-chief of Al Rasid magazine and editor of al-Fikr al-mua'sir magazine, Mamdouh decided to move to Beirut, then Palestine and London before finally settling in Paris.

Her first collection of short stories, Iftitahyya li-l-Dahik (An Overture of Laughter) was published in Beirut in 1973; this was followed five years later by her second collection Hawamish ila al-Sayyida B (Margins for Mrs. B). Her first novel, Layla wa al-Dhib (Layla and the Wolf), was published in 1981. Her second novel, Habat al-Naftalin (Naphthalene) was published in English by Garnet Publishing; she is most known for this book, as it was widely acclaimed and translated. Al-Wala' (The Passion), a third novel, was published in 1995.

Mamdouh continues to contribute to the main newspapers and journals of the Arab world.

For more information, please contact rhusni@aus.edu.

Organized by the AUS Gulf Studies Center, the Department of English and the Department of Arabic and Translation Studies.