Raoef Moesad Basta

(1937, Sudan) is a journalist, a playwright, a novelist and writes children's books. In 2004 Basta, together with other Arab writers not living in the Arab world, started a small publishing house, Muhajiroun, to give Arab writers the possibility to publish their work without the problems they experiernce in the Arab world. The book The Ostrich Egg, the Dutch translation appeared in 2001, got him the title ‘Egyptian author of the year’. This autobiographical book relates about his journeys to Sudan and Egypt and about his prison years, owing to his involvement in leftwing student resistance. Basta’s love of women forms the leitmotiv of the story. He worked as a journalist in Egypt and Lebanon and as s director for Iraqi television. He was director of the publishing house Dar Shondi in Cairo. Since 1990 Basta has been living in the Netherlands, working for Radio Nederland.