Sara Shaarawi

Shaarawi was born in the United States in 1989, raised in Cairo and settled in Scotland after studying there. .

While at the University of Edinburgh in 2011 Shaarawi began working with David Greig on a series of Arab plays to be performed at Oran Mor as part of an Arab Spring season. [2] The experience launched her into Scottish theatre and her first play, Niqabi Ninja, was shared as a work in progress at the Tron Theatre in 2014 and Platform in 2015.[3] Niqabi Ninja has since been performed in Germany and South Africa.[4] A full production is planned for the UK.

Other work for theatre has included Leyla, performed at the Tron Theatre in 2017[5] and Lifted, with her co-writer Henry Bell, which appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015 and 2016.[6]

Shaarawi is the recipient of a New Playwright's Award from Playwright's Studio[7] and the Starter Programme from the National Theatre of Scotland.[8] Other projects include a Cairene adaptation of Alasdair Gray's 1982, Janine with Henry Bell.[9] The play Haneen had a rehearsal reading in Egypt.[10]

As a producer Shaarawi is known for her work with the Arab Arts Focus, both in organising the largest Arab Arts Festival to come to the Edinburgh Fringe,[11] and as the host of its nightly cabaret, Chill Habibi.[12] Shaarawi is a founder member of The Workers Theatre,[13] and produces Megaphone, a crowdfunded residency for artists of colour in Scotland.[14]

In 2017 Shaarawi, was ranked 43rd in The List Hot 100.[15]

Shaarawi's work has a focus on inter-cultural and multilingual dialogue, often looking at moving beyond and deconstructing binaries. Sharply political and funny, her work is both distinctly Scottish and Egyptian.

Shaarawi lives in Glasgow, Scotland.[16]