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Quote by Nawal El Saadawi

“People like [Memoirs of a Woman Doctor], whether young people, young women, even critics - male critics - they were not shocked by it. Of course, some parts were cut.”

Quote by Nawal El Saadawi

Author

Nawal El Saadawi

Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian writer, physician, and feminist. Her works widely address themes such as women's status, gender equality, and social justice. Born on October 27, 1931, her works have had a profound impact in the Arab world and globally. more

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“The parts in which I elaborated on the sexual life of the doctor herself, the personal life, her relation with men [in Memoirs of a Woman Doctor]. All this. They left only some very, very minute parts. And also the political, the political element in it. So in a way, they cut pieces that to my mind were very important.”

Men Way Mind Important Political Left Pieces Cutting Minutes Elements Doctors Relation Memoir Personal Life

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

“Woman at Point Zero I wrote during the '70s in Arabic. It came in English in '82. So, almost ten years' difference between the Arabic and the English.”

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Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“During the '80s I wrote Memoirs from the Women's Prison. This is one of my most important books. It came out in Arabic in '83. About my experience in prison.”

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Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“I never stopped writing. I started writing when I was twelve years of age. And I was writing all the time. But nothing was translated until thirty years after I started writing, when The Hidden Face of Eve was translated in 1980.”

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Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“I practiced medicine up 'til now. I practice psychiatry. I shifted from different specialties. I started as a village doctor - community doctor, public health preventive medicine.”

Different Community Practice Doctors Medicine Village Psychiatry Public Health Specialty Preventive Medicine

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“When I am in Egypt, I am phoned because I am listed in the medical directory under "Mental Health and Psychiatry." And of course, I see very few people, because I give much more time to writing. So I cannot say that I really stopped medicine, but I practice medicine - or psychiatry - in a very different way. In an artistic way!”

People Way Giving Writing Different Courses Practice Medicine Mental Health Medical Artistic Different Ways More Time Egypt Psychiatry

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“First of all, I hated the medical profession. Medical education in Egypt was taken from the British, French, colonial educational system. And it's very, very lacking - there is no sexology. I never read the word clitoris in any medical book when I was educated.”

Firsts Book Taken Educational British Profession Medical Educated Hated Lacking Egypt Educational System Medical Profession Medical Education

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“I had to educate myself about female circumcision, about the clitoris, about sexology. We studied gynecology only. Pregnancy, maternal care, etc.”

Care Female Etc Pregnancy Educate Circumcision Gynecology

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“The medical profession [in Egypt] is also very commercial. Health is not given to the poor. You know, if you have money, you have medical care; if you do not, then you are in trouble. I was not ready at all to build my economic security on the diseases of people, on suffering, especially of women and children. So, in a way, I rebelled against it.”

People Ifs Knows Way Children Care Suffering Given Poor Trouble Economic Security Ready Disease Profession Medical Egypt Not Ready Medical Profession Medical Care Economic Security

Author:Nawal El Saadawi