Diwan is Egypt's best bookshop chain — founded in 2002 in Zamalek, it has expanded to several Cairo branches including Maadi. The Maadi branch carries a wide selection of English and Arabic books: fiction, history, travel, Cairo-specific non-fiction, and children's books. The café inside serves decent coffee and is a popular working space for Maadi's expat and professional community.
For visitors interested in Egyptian literature and history, Diwan is the most reliable source of English-language books on Egypt (guidebooks, academic histories, translated fiction) and the best place to find translated works by contemporary Egyptian writers. The Maadi branch is smaller than the Zamalek flagship but better stocked than the airport. The staff speak English and can make recommendations.