Satirical Magazine in Arabic, 1880–1882
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SANUA (James), known as Abou Naddara, more popularly Ya’qub Rufa’il Sanu’ [1839–1912]:
Abou-Naddara [Organe de la Jeunesse d’Egypte].
A consecutive run of 41 issues comprising: Le Flutiste, nos. 1–3, each 2 leaves, 4 – 20 June 1880, in Arabic; La Clarinette (Aby Zammara), nos. 1–3, each 2 leaves 12 July – 27 August 1880, in Arabic; Le Charmeur (Al-Hawl), nos. 1–4, each 2 leaves, 5 February – 25 March 1881, in Arabic; Abou Naddara 5é année [1881], nos. 1–15, each 2 leaves except nos. 6, 7, 8 are 4 leaves, in Arabic; Abou Naddara – Abou Naddara Zarka 6é année [1882], nos. 1–16, each 2 leaves in Arabic, nos. 8–16 also including translations in French.
Paris, 1880-1882.
Lithographically produced from original drawings and handwritten texts. The first Arabic magazine to feature cartoons, captioned in both French and Arabic, also being the first journal to use colloquial Arabic in print – a language radically different from its literary form.
James Sanua, known as Abou Naddara (‘father of spectacles’), came from a Sephardic Jewish family, partly educated in Italy, and became one of the major intellectual figures in late 19th century Egypt. A sharp political commentator and a great renovator of Arabic drama, his satirical magazine was quickly suppressed and its author banned, although Abou Naddara enjoyed great popularity and its circulation was considerable despite its ephemeral nature.