…a magnificent, multidimensional, eloquent and, above all, intelligent portrait of one of the world’s most enigmatic places. – Anthony Sattin, Sunday Times, London
…packed full of observations of enduring worth…She writes with wit, immediacy, intimacy and humor. – Barnaby Rogerson, Times Literary Supplement, London
…is it possible for a foreigner living in Cairo, even for many years, to know the soul of this city? …you will be astonished when you read Maria Golia’s book. – Rushdi Abul- Hassan, Sabah El-Kher Magazine, Cairo
…the extent of Golia’s insider status really shows… not just regarding matters specific to Cairo, but to matters of Egyptian-ness in general. – Motaz Attalla, Beirut Daily Star
…astonishingly astute, skillfully critical and deeply empathetic. – Cherine Badrawi, Daily Star, Egypt
Photography and Egypt (Reaktion Books, London 2010)
…An admirable and precise historical analysis and critique of the conditions under which photographs were produced [in Egypt], as well as an assessment of their impact on the region. -Catherine David, chief curator, Musées de France, exhibition catalogue forParis Photo, November 2009
…strikingly observed. Golia’s relaxed prose belies her careful research. Her history of photography can also be read as a challenge to [Egypt’s] people and their problematic search for authenticity. – Eleanor Kilroy, Times Literary Supplement, London April 2010
…Photography and Egypt is a treasure….Golia is a terrific writer… [the book] thrives on her intense and unyielding affection for Egypt, an ardor balanced with humor and the occasionally brutal critique of…the current regime… – Bidoun Magazine, New York/Dubai, Winter 2009-2010
… Swift-moving, sophisticated and serious, Maria Golia’s narrative comes right down to the present day. – John Rodenbeck, Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE)
…conjures the real Egypt to life before the reader, and unfolds the development of a vernacular photography from topography, middle class posturing and propaganda, to political and social activism bearing witness to contemporary events. –F/22 Magazine
Press Bits:
http://nymag.com/travel/2011/spring/cairo-estoril-restaurant-2011-4/
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/02/why-suleiman-s-concessions-aren-t-all-that-big/21208/
