Egyptian writer and academic born in Cairo, Egypt in 1946. She studied at Cairo University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst

 She has published 7 novels, 2  collections of short stories, a memoir and 4 criticism books

 Part I of her Granada Trilogy won the Cairo International Book Fair 1994 Book of the Year Award; the Trilogy won the First Prize of the First Arab Woman Book Fair (Cairo, Nov. 1995)

 Part I of the Trilogy was translated into English (Syracuse University Press) and Spanish (Editiones del Oriente y del Mediterraneo)

 Ashour has co-edited the 4-volume Encyclopedia of Arab Women Writers: 1873-1999, (2005)

She has also supervised and edited the Arabic translation of Vol. 9 of The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism (2006)

 A number of Ashour’s novels and short stories were translated into English, Spanish, and Italian

Ashour is currently professor of English and Comparative Literature, Ain Shams University Cairo

 Works:

1-      The Search for a Black Poetics: A Study of Afro-American Critical Writings, unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1975

2-       Al-Tariq ila al-Khaimat el Ukhra (A Study of the Works of the Palestinian novelist and short story writer Ghassan Kanafani), Beirut, 1977

3-      Gibran and Blake: A Comparative Study, Cairo 1978

4-      Al-Tabi’ Yanhad: al-Riwaya fi Gharb Ifriqiya (The Novel in West Africa), Beirut, 1980

5-      Al-Rihla (The Journey: American Memoirs of an Egyptian Student), an autobiograhical work, Beirut, 1983

6-       Hajar Daffe’ (Warm Stone), a novel, Cairo, 1985

7-      Khadija wa Sawsan (Khadija and Sawsan), a novel, Cairo, 1989

8-       Raaytul Nakhl (I Saw the Date-Palms), a collection of short stories, Cairo, 1989

9-      Siraaj (Siraaj), a novella, Cairo, 1992

10-    Ghernata (Granada), a novel, part one of a trilogy, Cairo, 1994

 Ghernata was awarded the Best Book of the Year Award by the General Egyptian Book  Organization, January 1995

11-   Mariama Wal Rahil (Mariama and Exodus) parts 2 & 3 of The Granada Trilogy, Cairo, 1995

The Trilogy was awarded the first prize of The First Arab Woman Writers Book Fair, Cairo, November 1995

12-   Atyaf (Ghosts) a novel, Cairo, 1999. Atyaf won the Cairo International Book Fair Award for the year 2003

13-   Fil-Naqd al-Tatbiqi: Sayadul Zhakira (Critical Essays), Beirut, 2001

14-   Taqareer al-Sayeda Ra’(Reports from Mrs.R), a collection of short stories, Dar ash-Shourouq, Cairo, 2001

15-   Qet’ah men Europa (A Slice of Europe), a novel, al-Marqaz as-Thaqafil-Araby, Beirut & Casablanca, 2003; and Dar ash-Shourouq, Cairo, 2003

16-   Ashour et al, ed. Mawsu’at al Katiba al ‘Arabeya, (Encyclopedia of Arab Women Writers), Dar Nour and al Majlis al A’la lel Thaqafa), Cairo, 2005, 4 volumes

17-   Mawsu’et Cambridge le-Tarikh al Naqd al-Adabi: Al Qarn al 3eshrun: al Madakhel al Tarikhiya wal Falsafiya wal Nafsiya, ed

(Arabic translation of vol. 9 of The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism), Cairo, 2006

 4 volumes,

18-    A Forth coming book on the al Shidiaq and the beginning of the Arabic novel.

19-    Mourid Barghouti, Midnight and Other Poems, trans. Radwa Ashour, Arc Publications, Lanc., 2008. 20- Numerous critical essays and lectures in Arabic and English.