Ati Metwaly

author

Ati Metwaly is an award-winning Polish-Egyptian journalist and writer based in Egypt. She serves as Arts & Culture Editor for Ahram Online (Al-Ahram's English-language news portal), since its launch in 2010. She continues to write extensively for Egyptian and international publications, including Al-Ahram Weekly, The Contrapuntal, The Africa Report, The Markaz Review, Opera Magazine UK, among others, with a focus on music and theatre. Prior to that, Metwaly was Editorial Director of The Art Review (2004–2008), the first English-language bi-monthly magazine dedicated to the arts in Egypt. In 2018, Metwaly co-founded Cultograph, a Cairo-based creative space and studio providing facilities for music, theatre, and dance rehearsals, and creative workshops. She also works in arts management and public relations for performing artists. Born into a family deeply engaged in theatre—both academically and practically—the performing arts were a fundamental part of Metwaly’s upbringing. She pursued acting from a young age and received two Best Actress awards at local festivals in Egypt. Although she experimented with different artistic media, she ultimately found her calling in writing, which she regards as her way of engaging with the world. She also conducts workshops—both in private settings and at academic institutions—focused on performance theory and arts writing. Metwaly’s activities also extend to the film sector. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the English section of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) daily bulletin and as International Relations Director of the Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF).