Emad Fouad is a poet , journalist and translator born in Egypt in 1974 and living in Antwerp, Belgium ·
Professional Summary
Emad Fouad is a leading voice in contemporary Arabic literature, with a career spanning poetry, fiction, journalism and translation. He is the founder and CEO of Metafora for Publishing and Translation (est.2021) and plays a significant role in bridging Arabic and European literary cultures. His work includes 7 poetry collections, 1 novel, 2 edited anthologies of modern Egyptian poetry and numerous translations of Dutch and Flemish authors into Arabic.
Translation work
Emad has translated works by prominent Dutch and Flemish authors, including Hugo Claus, Judith Hersberg, Remco Campert, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Cees Nooteboom, Ramsey Nasr, Maud Vanhauwaert, Radna Fabias, Stefan Hertmans, Maarten Inghels, Thomas Möhlmann, Esther Jansma, M. Vasalis, Eduard Cousin, Frank Koenegracht, Harry Mulisch, Gerrit Achterberg, Lucas Catherine, Eva Gerlach, Charlotte Van den Broeck…
Journalism and Columns
Since relocating to Belgium in 2004, Emad has worked as a freelance journalist and columnist for publications across Europe, Egypt, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia:
• The New Arab
• Diffah
• Nizwa
• Alfaisal
• Kitab
• Independentarabia
International Festival Participation
Emad has been invited to numerous international poetry festivals, including:
• Rotterdam International Poetry Festival (2005)
• Latvia / Algeria / Bahrain (2009)
• Romania (2010)
• Granada International Poetry Festival, Nicaragua (2011)
• Internationals literature festival Berlin (2017)
• Guatemala International Poetry Festival (2018)
• Voix Vives Poetry Festival, Sète France (2018/2025)
Publications
Poetry Collections
• Lexicon of Imperfect Senses (2025) – Diwan for Publishing, Cairo
• Ten Ways to Maim a Dead Body (2025) – Free digital edition, Jidar, Motala, Sweden
• This is the Language of the Lucky Preys (2019) – Merit Publishing, Cairo
• Bruissement (2018) – al-Manar Publications & Voix Vives Festival, France
• Ten Ways to Maim a Dead Body (2010) – al-Adab Publishing, Beirut
• Silk (2007) – al-Nahda al-Arabia Publishing, Beirut
• With a Black and Blue Bite of Regret (2005) – Sharqiat Publications, Cairo
• Retirement of an Old Womanizer (2002) – Sharqiat Publications, Cairo
• Ghosts Wounded by the Light (1998) – al-Kitaba al-Okhra Books, Cairo
Novels
• Status Zero (2015) – Merit Publishing, Cairo
Edited Anthologies
The Modern Egyptian Poetry Anthology:
• A wolf Which We Fell his Way with Traps, second edition (2016)
• Shepherds of Shades are the Guardians of isolation to, first edition (2007)
Essays
• Market of Arabic Literature Abroad: Footnotes and Notes, (2022) – Metafora Publishing, Cairo
emadfouad2@gmail.com
