Egyptian cities and villages abound with an enormous wealth of khatt, or calligraphic script, ranging from casual scrawls and scribbles to elaborately-painted colourful murals. These historical and contemporary versions of urban lettering are records of human existence, documenting expressions of hope, fears, dreams and anxieties.
Featuring beautiful and unique examples of these written expressions, Khatt is an extensive visual documentation of the found typography and calligraphy in Egypt, a calligraphy hub that possesses a rich tradition of education and production in the field. This timely volume records the traditional craftsmanship of hand-painted calligraphy, which is in decline because of the digitisation of the Arabic script.
About the Editor
Basma Hamdy, currently Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, is a research-based designer, author and educator who has exhibited and spoken at several international art and design festivals and conferences.
About the Photographer
Noha Zayed is a photographer and creative entrepreneur based in Cairo, Egypt. She has exhibited in festivals and platforms across the Middle East, and co-curates the highly popular Instagram account with the handle @arabictypography.
About the Publisher
Saqi Books is a leading independent publisher of trade and academic books on the Middle East and North Africa with two imprints: Westbourne Press is committed to releasing engaging works that offer an alternative, progressive perspective on the leading issues of our time, and Telegram publishes new and classic international writing.
