Renowned Egyptian author DW columnist

Al-Aswany, co-founder of the Egyptian opposition movement "Kifaya" ("Enough!") and one of the most famous participants of the 2011 protests that led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, has kept his distance from Egypt’s current rulers, while continuing to fight tirelessly for democracy, freedom of opinion and a strong civil society in Egypt.

The author earned global recognition through his book "The Yacoubian Building," published in 2002. Literature critics both at home and abroad lauded the book as a masterful portrait of Egyptian society. In the novel, Al-Aswany addresses topics usually left untouched in his country, such as corruption, domestic abuse and homosexuality. The work – the best seller book ever in the Arab World - was translated into more than 30 languages, including English and German. His most recent novel, "The Automobile Club of Egypt," was published in 2013 and is also available in English and German.

"I am very pleased to be contributing to Deutsche Welle, whose work I regard highly, and with whom I look forward to sharing new articles and ideas and to reaching a broad spectrum of readers worldwide," said Alaa Al-Aswany.

"We are proud to welcome Dr. Al-Aswany. He is an internationally recognized advocate for universal values," said Dr. Naser Schruf, head of DW’s Arabic-language service. "Al-Aswany embodies like no one else the voices of millions of Arabs who yearn for freedom, democracy and social justice. Such a voice should never fall silent."