'Beguiling and original…' Marina Warner

The thrilling story of Cairo's decadent nightlife in the early 20th century, told with women at the centre.

1920s Cairo: a counterculture was on the rise. A passionate group of artists captivated Egyptian society in the city's bars, hash dens and music halls – and the most dazzling and assertive were women.

Midnight in Cairo tells the thrilling story of Egypt's interwar nightlife, through the lives of these pioneering women, including dancehall impresario Badia Masabni, innovator of Egyptian cinema Aziza Amir and legendary singer Oum Kalthoum. They exploited the opportunities offered by this new era, while weathering its many prejudices. And they held the keys to this raucous, cosmopolitan city's secrets.

Introducing an eccentric cast of characters, Raphael Cormack brings to life a world of revolutionary ideas and provocative art. This is a story of modern Cairo as we have never heard it before.

'A spectacular parade of the extraordinary, bold and brash Egyptian women who shot to fame in the early years of globalised celebrity culture.'-- The Times

'A revelation … in this tremendous act of historical discovery, Cormack has unearthed the regal figures and buried treasures of Cairo's golden age. He is the Howard Carter of the demi-monde.' -- The Telegraph

'Midnight in Cairo delivers a place, time and people you'll wish you'd personally known. … Cormack deftly outlines the shifts in political mood and popular tastes that Cairo's entertainment scene both responded to and inspired.' -- TLS

'A captivating journey through [Cairo's] bars, cafes, cabaret clubs and music halls during a magical era when some of its biggest stars were women.' -- The Herald

'Fascinating … Midnight in Cairo is a fizzing tale of an underexplored period ... [These female performers] changed the terms of Egyptian popular culture and blazed a path for women.' David Gardner, Financial Times