Once upon a time in Egypt – Memories of a bygone era

In this conversation with Lisa Lipman, Viviane will discuss her childhood in Egypt and her memories of growing up in a Jewish community which at the time numbered 80,000 . They all left or were expelled between 1948 and 1967. The 1930s to early 1950s are considered Egypt’s golden era, when Cairo was known as the Pearl of the Nile. Viviane will evoke a world which no longer exists and will talk about a Sephardi community with its unique customs and traditions. She will also discuss her experience as a refugee, bringing with it both trauma and a loss of identity.

Viviane Bowell was born and raised in Cairo in a Sephardi community. Her maternal grandparents came from Aleppo in Syria and her paternal ancestors had been expelled from Spain in 1492 before settling in the Ottoman Empire. Expelled from Egypt in 1956, Viviane’s family arrived in England as penniless refugees and were placed in a disused hostel in the West of England before moving to London.  There she attended a French school and later went to university as a mature student and obtained a law degree.  Viviane moved to Bristol nearly 20 years ago and currently volunteers for two charities supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Since publishing her memoirs and recipe book soon after Covid, she continues to promote the little-known story of Egyptian Jews and Jews from Arab lands.

Lisa Lipman has been directing and telling stories on popular programmes and documentaries for the BBC and other channels over the last 30 years. She is very much looking forward to delving into Viviane’s own family saga.