Locating Women’s Autobiographical Writing in Colonial Egypt

This article explores the often faint strains of autobiographical writing affixed to female signatures in Egypt as feminist discourse was emerging. Rather than focusing on discrete “autobiographies” it argues that autobiographical writing was submerged in other genres; yet these fragmentary texts provided grounding for later, more overt autobiographical writing. An analytics founded in caution, flexibility, and respect is appropriate to a time when the feminine signature itself was fluid or uncertain. Authors considered are ‘A’isha Taymur, Zaynab Fawwaz, and Mayy Ziyada.