On 1 November 2008, Belal Fadl wrote the first of his many columns, entitled Istibaha (A Morning Brew), on the seasonal environmental smog that Egypt was experiencing and the black clouds that would inevitably disperse to herald a new dawn. Three years later, this new dawn broke dramatically with the downfall of the Mubarak regime. Focusing on the period from July 2010 to February 2011, this book is a collection of more than 120 satires and provides an invaluable insight into the final, decadent and extreme years of Mubarak's rule.
This collection of lively political satires and essays represents some of Bilal Fadl's most important work in the three years leading up to the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Bilal Fadl was one of the very few critical voices writing in the Egyptian press under the regime of Hosni Mubarak, when most of the press and media were censored and opposition newspapers shut down. These articles provide an invaluable insight into the final, decadent and extreme years of Mubarak's rule.