‘Every act of reading is historical,’ Nadia Wassef on the art of reading vs. the craft of writing, and the business of founding Diwan, one of Egypt’s most popular modern book stores.

This week we’re joined remotely by Nadia Wassef who in 2002 co-founded Cairo’s popular Diwan bookstore with her sister, Hind Wassef and their friend Nihal. Now, with three Masters degrees in her pocket and a separation from Diwan, Nadia is embarking on the arduous journey of writing her first book and shares snippets from her routine and experience thus far; what is the best time of day to write? How does a writer unwind and gather ideas? Hashem and Nadia also discuss the business side of owning a bookstore like Diwan and share parallels to The Lighthouse in Dubai. Aptly titled ‘[Shelf Life: The Chronicles of A Cairo Book Seller](https://www.amazon.com/Shelf-Life-Chronicles-Cairo-Bookseller/dp/037460018X),’ Nadia’s memoir is set for publication later this year and we’re already tapping our feet with anticipation