Q&A with Karen Leggett Abouraya
Karen Leggett Abouraya, author of “Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books,” is an award-winning journalist and former news program host on WMAL Radio. A past president of the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C., her reviews of children’s books and other articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, International Educator and Washington Parent. She is married to Egyptian-American Tharwat Abouraya and has traveled frequently to Egypt, especially to Alexandria – her husband’s hometown and the site of the ancient and modern libraries.
What are the best books you’ve read recently?
A favorite I like to recommend and re-read myself is Twyla Tharp’s “The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life.” Twyla offers ideas to boost your creativity no matter what your line of work or play. I also enjoyed reading the very first of Victor Hugo’s five-volume “Les Misérables” – essentially the prequel to the famous story in the musical. And this year I’ve been reading the new thriller series by local author Larry Matthews who is also appearing at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. His Dave Haggard thrillers are filled with vibrant writing, suspense and street realism.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I have a hard time picking a single book, but when I was asked this question by students at Forest Knolls Elementary School in Silver Spring, I said “Heidi.” It certainly was a favorite and in fact, I have my mother’s beautiful copy from the 1920s. Heidi is a true classic and yet quite ahead of its time in portraying a strong girl protagonist and an inclusive, can-do attitude toward people with disabilities.
Why do you enjoy attending book festivals, either as a presenter or audience member?
As a presenter, you never know who you will meet in the audience or what questions might be really thought-provoking. I’ve often used questions and answers to develop blogs and subsequent presentations. As an audience member, it is fun to hear what authors have to say about how they write and where they get their ideas.
Have you been to D.C. before?
I have lived all my adult life in the Washington, D.C., area and I love discovering new places, especially small and less well-known museums like the Postal and Textile Museums, Smithsonian Resident Associate programs, events at the Meridian International Center or Glen Echo.
What is the most difficult or challenging aspect of being a writer?
The biggest challenge is writing an opening that will grab the reader’s attention and an ending that makes the reader keep pondering.