Maher Sherif founded Mobadara Yadaweya in 1998 as a hub for independent and alternative publishing. For young writers, access to mainstream printing houses is extremely limited, and as a result many individuals lack opportunities to publish their work and develop a sustainable writing career.
Yadaweya confronts these challenges by inviting young people to share their stories and ideas with simple, affordable tools, easily available in their community. Yadaweya’s approach also serves to preserve traditional, manual printing techniques, which have witnessed a gradual decline in the face of increasing mechanization. Writers are thus able to control not only the content, but also the production of their goods.
The series of pamphlets and books produced by Yadaweya include poetry, short stories, photography, graphic arts, collages and silk screens, such that the publications are veritable works of both literary and visual art.