The contents of a table at the front of the Diwan bookstore in Cairo’s Zamalek neighbourhood hint at the shelves within: two books by US presidents (one in Arabic), the latest edition by a well-known female Egyptian author, one title frequently banned in the US, and yet another challenging the received wisdom on who owns Egyptian antiquities.

The force behind this diversity of literary work is Nadia Wassef, who co-owns Diwan along with her sister Hind and Nihal Schawky.

No mere bookstore, Diwan—which Wassef calls “a cultural retail experience”—is on a mission to transform cultural production and consumption in this ancient capital; one that has historically enjoyed a position as the intellectual center of the Arab World.

“It is more than simply titles on a shelf, but an environment that fosters the value of sharing knowledge and culture,” Wassef explains. She hosts poetry readings, lectures by authors and art exhibitions to promote home-grown ‘book culture.’

“Egyptians are more likely to become reengaged in the habit of reading if you provide them with an attractive venue to experience books and cultural production,” she explains.

It was also important to Wassef that Diwan serve as a space to empower women. A career in development and women’s rights alerted her to the lack of neutral cultural spaces for women in Cairo.

“We wanted to create a space where women have the freedom to grow intellectually. It’s not uncommon to see a woman sitting alone in Diwan’s café, reading a book,” she continued.

This formula has proven so successful that new branches of Diwan have opened throughout Cairo; sparking a literary renaissance in this ancient city by the Nile.