The Cornell Lectures Series will present a symposium, "Creativity, Dissidence and Autobiography: Two Egyptian Voices," with Nawal el Saadawi and Sherif Hetata on Monday, Nov. 29, at 3 p.m. in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium of Goldwin Smith Hall.

The presentation by the Cairo-based couple is open to the public, free of charge. El Saadawi, a novelist and psychiatrist, will speak on "Dissidence and Creativity." Her husband, a novelist and medical doctor, will speak on "Autobiography: How Did My Experience Write Itself?" An open discussion will follow their presentations.

Their Cornell host, Roald Hoffmann, the Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters, said, "these distinguished authors have had difficult life experiences -- including imprisonment -- that few of us can imagine, and we are fortunate for the opportunity to hear first-hand how their lives have informed their writing."

A leading figure in the Egyptian left-wing movement, Hetata spent 13 years in prison and nearly two years in exile after escaping from prison. He has written on many subjects, including travel, politics and health. Two novels have been translated into English, "The Eye with an Iron Lid" (1974) and "The Net" (1981), while his memoirs, titled "Open Windows," were published in three volumes (1993, 1995 and 1997).

El Saadawi has written a number of highly acclaimed novels and memoirs, often dealing with the role of women in Egyptian society. In 1972 she was imprisoned after losing her job with the Egyptian government. She was quickly released, but for years her name figured on death lists issued by fanatical terrorist organizations. The Egyptian government also abolished the organization over which she presided, the Arab Women's Solidarity Association, and shut down its magazine, Noon, of which El Saadawi was the editor-in-chief. Ultimately the Arab Women's Solidarity Association resumed functioning, and El Saadawi went on to found or co-found the Arab Association for Human Rights and the African Association for Women on Research Development. Among her 16 works available in English translation are "Nawal El Saadawi Reader," (1997), a collection of non-fiction essays, and "The Innocence of the Devil (1995)," a novel.