The life of the late singer and actress Layla Murad offers an opportunity to explore Egypt’s social, artistic and political history through key developments of the mid-20th century, says Hanan Hammad, the author of a new biography of Murad.
Hammad’s book, “Unknown Past: Layla Murad, the Jewish-Muslim Star of Egypt”, will be published by Stanford University Press early next year.
Hammad is an associate professor and director of Middle East Studies at Texas Christian University. She chose Murad as the subject for her book because her life “represents an exemplary case for studying the conditions of the first generation of art stars in Egypt and their social conditions,” the author said in an interview with Al-Fanar Media. “She enjoyed wide stardom and great respect at a time when working as an artist represented an encroachment on conservative traditions.”