Abdelrahman ElGendy

About

Abdelrahman ElGendy is an Egyptian writer and translator from Cairo whose work explores political repression, human rights, and the resilience of the human spirit. As a teenager, he was arrested during a protest in Egypt in 2013 and spent six years as a political prisoner, much of that time alongside his father. During his imprisonment, he continued his education, earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering, while writing became a vital means of documenting his experiences. ElGendy later pursued an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Pittsburgh. His essays and reporting have appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Nation, and Guernica. He received the Samir Kassir Press Freedom Award. Huna (2026), his debut memoir, recounts his imprisonment and explores resistance, belonging, and the enduring power of language.