Abou-Naddara (Organe de la Jeunesse d’Egypte)

Arabic Satirical Magazine

SANUA (James) [Known as Abou Naddara] Ya'qub Rufa'il Sanu' (1839-1912): Abou-Naddara (Organe de la Jeunesse d'Egypte). Paris, 1880-1882. 41 issues, 4to (27 x 21.6 cm), comprising:

Le Flûtiste, nos. 1-3 (each 2ff), 4 June – 20 June 1880, in Arabic;

La Clarinette (Aby Zammara), nos. 1-3 (each 2ff), 12 July – 27 August 1880, in Arabic;

Le Charmeur (Al-Hawi), nos. 1-4 (each 2ff), 5 February – 25 March 1881, in Arabic;

Abou Naddara 5è année [1881], nos. 1-15 (each 2ff, except nos. 6, 7 and 8 each with 4ff), in Arabic;

Abou Naddara – Abou Naddara Zarka 6è année [1882], nos. 1-6 (each 2ff), in Arabic, nos. 8-16 including translations in French.

Lithographically produced from original drawings and handwriting in both Arabic and French. The first Arabic magazine to feature cartoons, the captions for these being given in French and Arabic, as well as being the first to use colloquial Arabic in print – a language radically different from its literary form.

James Sanua, also known as Abou Naddara ('father of spectacles') came from a Sephardic Jewish family, partly educated in Italy, he became one of the major intellectual figures in late 19th century Egypt. A sharp political commentator and a great renovator of Arabic drama, he founded the satirical magazine Abou Naddara in 1877. Although it was quickly suppressed and its author banned, Abou Naddara enjoyed great popularity and its circulation was considerable despite its ephemeral nature.