If you want to stay alive after you die, write something that is worth reading, says an old Arabic proverb. While Mohamed Madbouli, known as “Hajj Madbouli, never wrote a book, his name will certainly not be forgotten: He established one of Egypt’s top publishing houses and opened a bookstore franchise with the most comprehensive collection of books in the Arab world.
Madbouli passed away on Dec. 5 at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.
Nearly five days after his death, the famous Madbouli Bookstore in Talaat Harb Square is as abuzz with activity as it has always been. Madbouli’s family was there too, determined to keep the bookstore running as he would’ve wanted.
“We will continue [walking his path] and God give us the power to accomplish even a quarter of what he has done, his son Amr said.
“He always wanted to pave the way for [the book industry] towards a bright future; to continuously develop the Egyptian book so that it would be acknowledged internationally, which is why he was keen on introducing new writers and different subjects, he added.
Louise Greiss, revered journalist and member of the Higher Press Council, said, “Madbouli is an Egyptian phenomenon and success story which shows how someone without a degree set out for the impossible and made his dream come true. Greiss was a regular at Madbouli Bookstore.
Hajj Madbouli began working at the age of six at a newsstand in Suliman Pasha Square (now known as Talaat Harb Square). French, Greek, Italian and British expatriates as well as Egypt s crème de la crème frequented the area, dropping regularly into famous restaurants and coffee shops such as Groppi.
Taking notice, Madbouli decided to start selling international publications to reach this customer base. He also formed strong bonds with Egyptian intellectuals, writers, artists and journalists who were regular patrons of Café Riche.
“People would ask Madbouli for books, and he never told anyone ‘I only sell newspapers.’ He’d say ‘write me the title and author and pass by tomorrow, you’ll find it.’ He would then search all over Cairo for this book and bring it to his customer, Greiss said, and this is how he entered the industry.
Opened since the 60s, Madbouli Bookstore has become a landmark of Talaat Harb Square and Downtown Cairo, making a name for itself by selling controversial books that tackled topics such as existentialism and Marxism, which were considered taboo at the time.
“Any book that was either banned or [hard to] find anywhere, you would no doubt find it at Madbouli’s, Greiss said.
Even though he was a Nasserist, Madbouli sold books that strongly criticized former president Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, including Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani’s “Ala Hamish Daftar Al-Naksa (Margins of Al-Naksa’s Notebook), which talked about the 1967 war with Israel and was banned at the time.
Mabdouli believed that publishers and bookstore owners had an obligation to offer readers all types of books. He continued to abide by his principles during president Anwar Sadat’s reign, selling the contentious works of poet Ahmed Fouad Negm and other writers who were either exiled or imprisoned.
The controversial publisher and distributor was sued by state security 24 times. In 1991, he was sentenced to a year in prison for publishing “Distance in a Man’s Mind by Alaa Hamed, which sparked religious controversy, according to AFP. However, President Hosni Mubarak granted him a pardon after key public figures, writers and intellectuals objected to the court ruling.
The latest controversy sparked by Madbouli was his rejection to publish two books by secular feminist author Nawal Saadawi last summer.
“Nawal Saadawi had two new books which she brought to us on a CD. They went straight to the publishing house and were published without anyone reading them. When the Hajj found that they [the books] messed with religion, divine powers and Allah, he immediately ordered all copies be burned, explained Hassan, who has been working alongside Madbouli for 37 years and is now known as Hassan Madbouli.
“He believed in freedom in everything except when it comes to religion, which was the only prohibited territory for him, he added.
The staff members at Madbouli Bookstore worked alongside the literary legend for years, learning from him on both a professional and personal level.
“He worked with us not as a boss, we did everything together hand-in-hand. At times when he was tough on any of us, he’d later come and say, ‘I’m may be tough on you but you have to learn that life is a fight,’ said 35-year-old Mohamed Ali El-Ghoul, who has been working at the store for 15 years.
Madbouli was known for introducing young writers such as Ahmed Farahat El-Qadi and Eid Abdel Halim.
“The youth were of great importance to him. Not only the writers who he encouraged, but whenever a young person came in [to the store] he’d give them a discount or even give them a book for free if they can’t afford it, said El-Ghoul.
The death of Madbouli is a great loss to the publishing industry in the Arab world. “Hajj Madbouli had a lot of experience in the field, said Dalia Mohamed Ibrahim, vice chairman of Nahdet Misr for Printing, Publishing and Distribution.
He was in direct contact with the market and going into publishing gave him insight into what the people wanted, she said.
“He was trying to add something to society with the books he published, she said.
Madbouli was not only an icon in the publishing industry, but also a role model and an inspiration for the younger generation as a successful entrepreneur.
Everyone who was asked to pay tribute to the late Madbouli described him using the same word: humble.
“Even after he owned the Madbouli publishing empire, he continued dressing in the same way as people knew him, which is in the traditional galabeyya, said Greiss.
