Egypt’s Bassem Youssef, left hundreds spellbound by his trademark wit and straight-faced humour at the 42nd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) on Friday night. Speaking about stardom, life in America, parenting, and his book, with popular entrepreneur-interviewer Anas Bukhash, the TV host and comedian took no time to give his audience the unique and unabashed candidness they revere him for.
“[Many said] it was career suicide, but I needed to go and speak,” began the heart-surgeon-turned-media personality, when asked about his recent interview with British presenter Piers Morgan on his show that went viral overnight with millions of views on YouTube.
“But I told them that I cannot really start shouting and so I turned to the power of comedy. Like standup comedy, my stance at the interview needed a tone and I kept searching for one. Piers Morgan can make you angry. He has a reputation. You cannot really quarrel with him and so I left him talking before he was obliged to give me my space. And this was my biggest learning from this interview”, Youssef continued.

That interview, Youssef said later, also set the tone for his year of learnings as he listed his three big lessons from 2023. “First thing was the ability to learn. Second was empathy, to put yourself in other people’s shoes, and third, was about being patient by waiting for that right moment”. “When you enter a conversation, put your ego on the side. Tell yourself you are not important. You do not need to shout or explain,” he further noted.
Life in America
Through satire and dark humour, Youssef drove home some important messages during the conversation, while opening up about his early life in the US.
“When I came to America, I spent two to three years doing nothing before I started to give talks in English with no prior experience of standup, but I took one step at a time and got better; just like I focused on one page of a medical book at one time. And as you add your experiences, you begin to realise how far you have reached, focusing on each page at a time. Be good in what you are doing and everything will fall in place,” said the 49-year-old who graduated from Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine, majoring in cardiothoracic surgery, before eventually moving into a career of comedy and political satire.
‘People try to limit screen time, but I encourage children to use it the right way’
Talking about his 2021 novel The Magical Reality of Nadia that follows sixth grade Egyptian immigrant Nadia as she navigates the ups and downs of life, Youssef explained how it fights stereotypes. “We all think the same, express the same thoughts as part of the society. We are all similar in that way,” he said alluding to how Nadia uses her magical hippo amulet in the story to square up with a new kid who teases Nadia about her heritage.

When asked to comment on the contemporary digital world and Gen Z habits, the father of two said: “I learn from the younger generation. I will not deal with them with a show of supremacy. It’s a very different generation and we must be the bridge between two different worlds – our previous generation and the next.”

“You need to credit children, encourage them with positive remarks,” Youssef went on while talking about modern-day parenting. “People try to limit [their children’s] screen time but I encourage them to use it the right way. The internet is also a source of creativity and talent and so positive reinforcements make a great difference. Encourage them instead of blaming your kids. This will lead you to be friends with your own children as they will consult you. Build a positive relationship with them instead of an authoritarian one. It works not only with children but everyone in the end,” he said to loud cheers from the audience.
After the event, Youssef signed copies of his book The Magical Reality of Nadia.