South and East

Author's name: Mohamed El-Makhzangi

This unique book, written with the language of a writer and the curiosity of a journalist, takes us to distant lands across the world. It's a collection of journalistic exploratory journeys that, at the time of their publication, were considered a breakthrough in Arab journalism. In this book, Al-Makhzanji explores countries large and small, tracing the lives of their people and how history and geography have influenced them, each creating a culture distinct from the next, presenting a form of human brotherhood with their peers and with the nature around them. As much as he explores the political factors that posed challenges to these peoples at the time of his journey, he also reveals the resistance to racism in South Africa and the smoke rising from the rubble of post-war Bosnia. However, the most attractive thing is the grand vision that Al-Makhzanji came out with from all his travels, which made him give his book the title “South and East” in a clear passion for the south and the east, which the author explains by saying: There is a spiritual philosophy, a captivating and compassionate vision in the people and countries of the people of the south and the east, and I opened the eyes of my insight as much as possible and available to capture these visions, and contemplate them in the mirror of my soul, so they were reflected visions, perhaps the most important thing that distinguishes these surveys from the technical point of view in travel texts or travel writing, so they were journeys and visions, I hope they will be enjoyable and useful for those who communicate with them. Mohamed El-Makhzangi studied medicine in Mansoura University and specialized in psychiatry in Ukraine. After twelve years, he abandoned medical work and devoted himself to journalism. He is now an editorial consultant for Al-Arabi magazine in Cairo, and has written a weekly column in Al-Shorouk newspaper since its publication in 2009. El-Makhzangi has published seven short story books, a novel, a short story reportage on the Chernobyl disaster, two books of environmental literature for children, and an electronic book on travel literature. He won the Sawiris Award for Senior Writers in Short Stories in 2005.