The Hostage by Zayd Mutee‘ Dammaj
This Yemeni novel, in what I assume is a coincidental parallel to Orwell, was written in 1984 but set in 1948; it’s about a boy who has been taken hostage by the Imam to ensure his father’s political...
View ArticleThe Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish
The Butterfly’s Burden is a translation of three books by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish who died earlier this year: The Stranger’s Bed (1998), A State of Siege (2002) and Don’t Apologise for...
View ArticleSeason of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih
Season of Migration to the North is my book from Sudan for the Read The World challenge. Originally published in 1966, ‘in 2001 it was selected by a panel of Arab writers and critics as the most...
View ArticleThirsty River by Rodaan Al Galidi
This is the second book in a row for the Round The World challenge which I can say, without any caveats, that I straightforwardly enjoyed. So that’s good. Thirsty River is my book for Iraq, though...
View ArticleThe Bleeding of the Stone by Ibrahim Al-Koni
The Bleeding of the Stone is a Libyan novel about Asouf, a Bedouin man living a hermit-like existence out in the desert, herding goats and occasionally guiding foreigners to see the rock paintings on...
View ArticleWho Needs a Story? — Contemporary Eritrean Poetry in Tigrinya, Tigre and Arabic
Who Needs a Story? is my book from Eritrea for the Read The World challenge. Given that the country only gained independence in 1993 after a 30 year war, it’s not really surprising that the anthology...
View ArticleCities of Salt by Abdelrahman Munif
Cities of Salt is a novel about an unnamed Middle-Eastern country where desert tribesmen have their lives disrupted by the arrival of the oil industry. Think Saudi Arabia. It’s 600 pages long and it’s...
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