Mohamed MakhzangiMOHAMED MAKHZANGI was born in Mansoura, in Egypt's eastern Delta region. He trained as a doctor, and was continuing his training in psychology in Kiev at the time of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. His experience in Ukraine formed the basis for memoir, published in English as Memories of a Meltdown. He practised medicine for twelve years before turning to fiction and science journalism. His publications include several short story collections, including Animals in our Days, from which the story in this issue is taken, as well as two books of environmental fiction for children and a non-fiction book about his travels in Asia. He is a regular columnist for Egypt's Al Shorouk newspaper, where he often writes on medicine and politics. In 1992, he won Egypt's Best Short Story Collection Award, and in 2005, he won the Sawiris Prize for Best Collection of Short Stories. Read More Read Less