If you’re fascinated by ancient Egypt or simply want to know more about the lives of ordinary people in one of the world’s most interesting civilisations, this superb book is for you.
Authors Michael Hoffen, Dr Christian Casey and Dr Jen Thum have taken a work of ancient Egyptian literature, known as ‘The Satire of the Trades’, in which a father – Polonius like – passes on instructions to his son, and have used it to illustrate what daily life was like almost 4000 years ago.
Khety was sending Pepi his son to become a scribe, the very best job in his opinion and writes to pass on advice about living in the capital as he trains, and with criticism of other occupations. Double page spreads take sections from Khety’s long letter and explain what he is talking about via text and stunning photographs of real ancient Egyptian artifacts. We learn so much about what it was like to work in ancient Egypt and more too: readers will learn to read some Egyptian words in hieroglyphs for example, and there are guides to help you say them out loud. Idiosyncratic sayings of Khety’s are explained or highlighted, ‘hurry your legs’ for example, could that be the same as ‘don’t dilly-dally’?
It’s entertaining, intriguing, stimulating, and one of the most accessible, interesting books you’ll come across on ancient Egypt.
An immersive story of daily life in ancient Egypt.
This extraordinary translation of a tale by Michael Hoffen, a 16-year-old young author, will acquaint readers with the life of a teenage boy in ancient Egypt and show readers that working for a living has never been easy!
Sail up the Nile with an ancient Egyptian father and son and discover what daily life was like along the way. Experience the wonderful world of ancient Egypt with the help of countless artifacts and paintings.
Delight in four-thousand-year-old humour and immerse yourself in the choices facing a teenage boy in Egypt then.
Here's a peek at just some of the exciting information readers will discover within its pages: • Facts about ancient Egypt, the Egyptian people, and their unique culture • What it was like to work as a scribe and all the benefits that came with it • What it was like to do the many other common jobs in ancient Egypt and all the challenges that came with them • Ancient wisdom, first passed from father to son 4,000 years ago, but just as relevant today • A glimpse into the geography and rich landscapes of Egypt • Throughout the book, readers will learn Egyptian words written in hieroglyphs, paired with a guide to help read aloud.
Michael Hoffen, Christian Casey, Jen Thum Press Reviews
'Be a Scribe! is a marvel! I could not put this book down. It’s brimming with detailed knowledge of ancient Egypt, but written so engagingly and wittily you can’t stop flipping the pages. Young people will gobble it up without realizing they are learning. And even adults with advanced degrees will find themselves engrossed, educated, and fascinated by this story of an Egyptian father giving life advice to his teenage son—and astonished at how little parenting has changed across the millennia! Visually gorgeous, this remarkable translation of an actual papyrus from 4000 years ago is a tour de force.' - Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Political Tribes and The Golden Gate
Author
About Michael Hoffen, Christian Casey, Jen Thum
Michael Hoffen is the youngest-ever recipient of the annual Emerson Prize, awarded by the Concord Review for outstanding promise in history. While still in middle school he was introduced to the joys of translating ancient texts and never looked back. During the pandemic, Michael decided to embark on an ambitious project to bring ancient Egyptian literature to life outside the classroom. Be A Scribe! is Michael’s first book in a series intended for young readers. When not chasing down new stories to translate or write, Michael enjoys biking, swimming, and rock climbing. He lives with his family in New York.
Dr. Christian Casey is an Egyptologist who specializes in the study of ancient Egyptian languages. He obtained his PhD in Egyptology from Brown University in 2020 and now works as a researcher at Freie Universität Berlin. He is especially interested in sharing the exciting world of ancient Egypt with young people and other interested members of the public.
Dr. Jen Thum is an Egyptologist, educator, and curator at the Harvard Art Museums. She studied Egyptology and Archaeology at the University of Oxford and Brown University. Jen’s work celebrates the learning potential of ancient material culture, especially across disciplines. She teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, writes and leads workshops about learning with art and artifacts, and is the lead editor of Teaching Ancient Egypt in Museums: Pedagogies in Practice. Jen conceived of Be A Scribe! after recognizing the need for accessible ancient Egyptian primary sources for young learners. Follow @egyptolojen.
Always an avid reader of the Usborne and DK books on history, it's no surprise that when 16-year-old Michael Hoffen suddenly found himself with free time during the covid-19 pandemic, he spent it learning about ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs, inevitably launching him into his debut writing career.
Teacher and mentor Christian Casey, a postdoc at the Freie Universität Berlin, met regularly with Michael, helping him translate a work of ancient Egyptian literature, The Satire of the Trades also called The Instruction of Khety.
Together with Jen Thum, they created this thought-provoking and beautiful book inspired by their learnings.
