Tips from the culture desk: Books, Mariam Naoum and more in Cairo

Saturday night sees the launch of the long-awaited publication accompanying Cimatheque’s longest-running program Kurassat, a series of mentored film criticism and programming workshops. Mohamed Shawky Hassan’s 24-minute film And On Another Note (2015) will be screened.

Ongoing events include the Goethe Film Week and the screening of Tunisian filmmaker Leyla Bouzid’s As I Open My Eyes all week at Zawya - see last week’s tips for details.

And don’t forget the monthly Slow Downtown this Friday at downtown Cairo's Eish wa Malh, where in collaboration with Slow Food Cairo and Nawaya, special dishes are served throughout the day, a market of special local food and bodycare producers is hosted, and there’s live chilled music from 12 to 4 pm.

Finally, this week and next, Mada’s culture tips are brought to you by the Tahrir Book Fair, happening this week at the American University in Cairo's Tahrir Square Campus with discounts on an extensive range of titles. See below.

Tamer Abu Ghazalan album launch - Sunday

Two events launching oud, bouzaq and vocal musician Tamer Abu Ghazala’s new album Thulth await Cairo this week. The first is on Sunday at Falaki Theater and the second is on Tuesday at Cairo Jazz Club. Launched by Abu Ghazala’s record label Mostakell, the album is Abu Ghazala’s third album after an eight-year hiatus, during which he focused on establishing Eka3 as an incubator for regional music businesses, through which he also founded Mostakell, booking agency Almoharek, music licensing agency Awyav, and co-founded music magazine Ma3azef.com.

Sunday 29 June at 8 pm at Falaki Theater in downtown Cairo, tickets LE60, available at the theater from 5 to 9pm. Mohandessin’s Cairo Jazz Club on May 31, starting 10 pm — no tickets but reservation required and the door policy is strict.

Mariam Naoum talk - Tuesday

As part of the Contemporary Image Collective’s ongoing project If Not for That Wall, which engages with various forms of imprisonment, they are hosting popular and critically acclaimed scriptwriter Mariam Naoum for a talk. With films such as One Nil and TV series such as Zaat, Under Control and Women’s Prison under her belt, Naoum has established herself as a serious writer whose work draws high viewer numbers and generates debate about important issues. It will also be a good chance to catch CIC's interesting ongoing exhibition Chronic, which is set to close on June 4.

May 31 at 7 pm at CIC, 22 Abdel-Khaleq Tharwat Street, 4th floor, downtown Cairo.

4 Arab Shorts Releases - starts Wednesday

To conclude Zawya’s #ArabCinemanth are these four recent promising shorts, with one 7.30 pm screening daily from June 1 to 6: These are Sherif El Bendary's Dry Hot Summers (30 minutes, Egypt), Basil Khalil's Academy Award nominated Ave Maria (14 minutes, Palestine), Ely Dagher's 2015 Palme d'Or Winner Waves 98 (15 minutes, Lebanon) and Jamil Najjar's Ghasra (Tunisia).

WAVES'98 Trailer from Beaverandbeaver on Vimeo.

Behind Cinema Odeon, downtown Cairo. Facebook event here.

Thomas Piketty in Cairo - Thursday

To mark the Arabic publication of his bestselling book Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Dar Altanweer (tranaslated by economy journalists Wael Gamal and Salma Hussein), on Thursday French economist Thomas Piketty will give a regional perspective on the global inequality debate at two free public talks: at Cairo University's Faculty of Economics and Political Science at 11 am, and then at 6 pm at the American University in Cairo's Ewart Hall, followed by a discussion with economist and social democract Ziad Bahaa Eldin and a book signing.

Tahrir Book Fair - Thursday to Sunday

Booklovers will be happy to learn that it’s time for the American University in Cairo Press’s summer book fair at AUC’s Tahrir Square campus. Selling AUC Press and non-AUC Press titles, the sale is extra attractive for its multiple special offers, such as three novels for the price of two, textbooks starting from LE10, discounts on children’s books, up to 90 percent off on academic titles, and a free book if you spend over LE150.

Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm (except from 1 to 5 pm from Friday). Valid photo ID required for entry at the campus gate on Mohamed Mahmoud Street or the corner of Sheikh Rihan Street. Facebook event here.