Egypt's First Adult Graphic Novel Officially Banned

In April 2008, freedom of speech and creativity in Egypt was hit in its core with the confiscation of Magdy El Shafee's adult graphic novel - Metro. Since then the author and his pubisher have been on trial and while every one was busy with the football war between Egypt and Algeria, the court officially banned the novel.

Bikya Masr group blog see the verdict as "Another blow to free speech in Egypt as graphic novelist gets no love from court"

It was supposed to signal a new era in Egyptian novels. The country´s first graphic novel, Metro, was supposed to be a show of free speech and artistic merit. Instead, it has become the hallmark of what rights groups say is the Egyptian government´s continued censorship of what its citizens can write. On Sunday, a Cairo misdemeanors court fined author Magdy el-Shafei and publisher Mohamed Sharkawi 5000 Egyptian pounds ($900) and demanded the confiscation of the novel after accusing them of writing and distributing a novel, which included statements and phrases considered "offensive to public morals."

Sarah Carr is furious



Shahinaz Abdel Salam is disappointed



The author Magdy El Shafee refuses to give up and promises to appeal



Fine! We lost the first round ... no problem! We will not lose the second!