Interview | Dr. Shawkat Al-Masri: Culture is the shield of identity… and its homes are the irreplaceable starting point

Monufia has woven its own cultural fabric since ancient times, opening its arms to art, storytelling, poetry, and science without hindrance, just as its land has opened its heart to fertile agriculture and various folk and traditional arts, intertwining with the capital in a charming and attractive harmony.

Dr. Shawkat Al-Masri, assistant professor of modern literary criticism at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, is an active intellectual and one of the symbols of the cultural scene in Egypt. He was not only born in Monufia, but also became its son by choice and cultural formation, since his early years at the Faculty of Arts in Shebin El-Kom. He found a second home in the Palace of Culture and a miniature homeland in literary clubs. He moved between sound and text in his creative work, until he became one of the names betting on culture’s ability to save the soul.

In his interview with Bab Masr, Shawkat Al-Masri opens his memory book and talks about his relationship with Monufia, his early cultural formation, and the secret of the nostalgia that makes culture a necessity rather than a luxury.

• When did your relationship with the cultural scene in Monufia begin?

My relationship with Monufia began at university, in my first year, because I used to live with my parents. I got my high school diploma in Saudi Arabia, so I spent my childhood there. But my connection with the cultural scene in Monufia began during my university years, and my visits and acquaintance with the cultural scene in the governorate began during my first year at university. I connected with the Egyptian cultural scene in general and the one in the governorate in particular through the Shibin El-Kom Literature Club at the Shibin El-Kom Cultural Palace.

• In those early days, you met some prominent cultural figures. Who caught your eye?

Yes,

I got to know a group of people who later became well-known figures, such as Dr. Ahmed Nassar, who is one of the most important people in political and social work, as well as Haitham Al-Haj Ali, who was still a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Arts in Helwan, the poet Wissam Jalal Al-Duweik, Mohamed Daghidi, the poet Ahmed Al-Saidi, Abdel Rahman Al-Bajawi, and many others.

• What role did cultural centers play in shaping your cultural awareness?

The activities of the literature club and the cultural palace were the main basis for connecting with the literary milieu at the governorate level. I then started attending other literary clubs, such as the Literature Club and the Sars al-Layan Cultural Center, the Manouf Cultural Center, and the Quesna Cultural Center, where I participated in various events and activities. This acquaintance began through the palace’s literary section.

Tell us about your relationship with music during your studies.

At the Shibin Palace, I started playing the oud in my first year at the Faculty of Arts, Department of Arabic Language. From playing the oud in the university band, I moved on to the National Band for Arabic Music, which included great artists such as Maestro Medhat Al-Alam, Saeed Al-Rabat, Mohamed Amer, and Rabie, the ney player. Through our participation in the National Arab Music Ensemble, we won first place at the national level three times. I represented Egypt abroad, playing the oud at cultural events. That was the beginning of my relationships within the palace.

• When did your relationship with the creative artists of Monufia begin?

At around the same time, we developed relationships with the province’s most prominent artists. Specifically, the poet Mohamed Afifi Matar, then the poet Fathi Abdullah, both of whom would visit the village from time to time. We would organize meetings to sit with them and talk, myself, the poet Adel Samih, and the novelist and poet Subhi Moussa.

These meetings formed the basis of my relationship with the governorate of Monufia, which continued at the level of cultural institutions and sites in the governorate. I also borrowed books from the palace library, attended literary clubs, and discussed short stories. I got to know Sharif Rizk, the critic and poet Dr. Adel Badr, and Haytham Sharabi, who was also an important short story writer.

On the other hand, my relationship with Monufia was represented by the Faculty of Arts at the university where I spent eight years completing my higher education. This was also an important period, which coincided with my time at the palace. There were exchanges and intersections between the two through professors such as Dr. Eid Balbaa, Dr. Mohamed Fikry Al-Jazar, Dr. Bassem Abdel-Azim, and Dr. Osama Moussa.

• Tell us about your personal connection to the place and your creativity there.

Without a doubt, there was a very large part of the relationship with the place and my connection to it. I had a relationship with Monufia that included the formation of my first acquaintances. We published and participated in a magazine called Tawasul, and we also founded the Faculty of Arts magazine, or the Faculty of Arts newspaper, during the time of Dr. Fathi Masilhi. These were the first things we did to establish creative connections in Monufia.

• How did your relationship with Cairo give you a broader cultural perspective?

From Monufia, we went to Cairo to attend the Cairo Atelier sessions and the Zahra al-Bustan café, which was open every Tuesday. It was frequented by prominent figures and creative minds, including Mohamed Mostafa, Khairy Shalaby, Youssef Al-Qaid, Mohamed Soliman, and Farid Abu Saada.

Their sessions were enjoyable, and most of the writers would gather in downtown Cairo or at Zahra Al-Bustan and the Cairo Atelier on Tuesdays. They would finish their session at Zahra Al-Bustan and then continue at the atelier. Then they would continue at the Atelier. This was the main story that made me expand my cultural relationships and acquaintances in the capital.

• What distinguishes Monufia as a geographical and cultural place?

From my point of view, there are a number of characteristics in Monufia in general as a geographical place and governorate that are not found in any other governorate. For example, the small size of the area makes relationships closer. There are no barriers between the villages, so there are no distances between people. You feel that the whole governorate is connected, except for the Sadat area, of course, because it was added to the governorate and has a desert hinterland. But Monufia is a more intimate governorate.

• In your opinion.. How does the nature of the land and agriculture reflect the cultural character of the governorate?

The nature of the land and the governorate’s connection to agriculture or farming reflects the idea that people take on the ethics or genes of the farmers they inherit from their ancestors, the idea of throwing a seed, sitting next to it, watering it, watching it grow, fearing for it, and waiting for the fruits after months.

This nature differs from that of other governorates based, for example, on fishing, trade, or seasonal tree cultivation.

Monufia is characterized by the idea of the relationship between humans and the nature of agriculture and its genes, the fertility of the land, the Nile and its area in the governorate, its small size in the governorate, and its many branches. There are also many small islands within the governorate itself. The nature of the country itself is important.

Al-Monufia is also a governorate adjacent to the capital. Therefore, Cairo is not a distant place for the people of Al-Monufia; Cairo is a daily activity, and people can easily travel there. Other governorates cannot do this. This proximity has made the people of Al-Monufia very mobile to the capital. It has kept them close to the cultural scene and other aspects of life in the capital; it is one scene, or an extension of it.

• With all the talk about the closure of cultural centers, what is your vision for the cultural future of Egypt and the importance of reopening these centers?

The closure of cultural centers is unacceptable in form and substance, and reversing it is imperative. Cultural centers and libraries play a key and essential role, even when they are empty. It is inevitable that they will be reopened and developed. In my opinion, this issue is settled. There is no turning back for us. If we close them now and want to reopen them later, the state will incur millions of pounds in costs. We would lose a major source of culture in cities, villages, and governorates.

I always say: culture is not only found in the opera house. Culture is in Tanta, Qena, and Shubra. It is not only found in Zamalek with its cultural sites. Cultural centers play a major role; a functioning cultural center holds events inside and outside the center. It is not just a 60-square-meter space. It is a starting point, a gathering place, and a hub of activity. There is no alternative, and closure cannot be proposed as a solution. The alternative is to operate the houses and palaces at full capacity and increase their financial allocations. The alternative is not “closure and talk of financial losses.” True culture has no place for loss and direct financial gain.

• In light of the talk about the gap between the ministry and intellectuals, what solutions do you see?

There are many solutions, and those who have the power to make decisions are aware of them. For example, there was a plan proposed during Dr. Sayed Khattab’s presidency for cultural palaces, which was developed by a group of intellectuals. There are also proposals that were put forward at a conference held by Dr. Jaber Asfour. And there are plans that were presented by former ministers, such as the plan presented by Professor Ahmed Fawzi to Dr. Neveen Al-Kilani on the investment palace of culture. There are 600 ideas in the drawers that are ready to be implemented, but they need people who want to work on them.

The matter does not require new dialogue or attempts to circumvent it. In my opinion, cultural centers cannot be closed, and this is what the minister pledged before parliament. The centers are not functioning because the policies put in place by the ministry are poor. There is also a flaw in the distribution of efforts among the centers and sites. There are also shortcomings in education and other sectors such as health and endowments. Has the state closed schools, institutions, and hospitals? I believe that culture is as essential as water and air, and that it is the protective shield of society and its identity.

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