JK Rowling 'bewitched' by young Egyptian writer

Blog: The best-selling British novelist has offered encouragement and moral support to a young Egyptian female writer who had reached out to her via Twitter.

Narrated

2 min read

Nada Ramadan

17 Aug, 2015

JK Rowling has offered support to a young Egyptian writer [Getty]

JK Rowling, a best-selling British novelist best known for her Harry Potter fantasy series, has offered support and encouragement to a young Egyptian writer who had reached out to her on Twitter, claiming that Egyptian female writers were a laughing stock in their country.

The Egyptian 16-year-old, Hagar el-Saeed, told Rowling in a tweet that in Egypt, girls could not do anything as freely as boys, and that people laughed at her whenever she said she was a writer.

— Preliator. (@Hagar_ElSaeed)
August 15, 2015 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

@jk_rowling You inspired me to write. However, in Egypt, girls can't do anything freely as boys. They laugh at me when I say I am a writer.
— Preliator. (@Hagar_ElSaeed) August 15, 2015

Rowling then replied to Saeed with advice and moral support, advising her not to let people's laughter "extinguish [her] ambition".

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 15, 2015 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

Don't you dare let their laughter extinguish your ambition. Turn it into fuel! Big hugs from one writer to another x https://t.co/w3lYXAosJj
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 15, 2015

In the description section on her Facebook, Saeed says: "JK Rowling is truly talented, and I dream to meet her one day."

Rowling's encouraging reply appears to have inspired many others to show solidarity with the young writer.

Twitter Post

— Shirley Thomas (@SmurfGG) August 15, 2015 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

@Hagar_ElSaeed It sucks, I feel you. Hope you keep on writing though, the world needs *your* voice; as a person, as a woman, as an Egyptian.
— Shirley Thomas (@SmurfGG) August 15, 2015

On the other hand, some people disagreed with Saeed's claim that women writers were not being taken as seriously as men in Egypt.

— Mahmoud Shteiwey (@Shteiwey) August 16, 2015 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

@Hagar_ElSaeed @jk_rowling There are so many women writers in Egypt since a century that I don't really see your claim bases and validity.
— Mahmoud Shteiwey (@Shteiwey) August 16, 2015