It is simply not part of my culture to preserve notes. I have never heard of a writer preserving his early drafts.

The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, and values. That is art.

I was a government employee in the morning and a writer in the evening.

Hosni Mubarak... his constitution is not democratic, but he is democratic. We can voice our opinions now. The press is free.

I wake up early in the morning and walk for an hour. If I have something to write, I prefer to write in the morning until midday, and in the afternoon, I eat.

An allegory is not meant to be taken literally. There is a great lack of comprehension on the part of some readers.