The Book of Khartoum: A City in Short Fiction (Reading the City) - Softcover

Ahmed Al-Malik; Bushra Al-Fadil; Ali Al-Makk; Isa Al-Hilu; Arthur Gabriel Yak; Bawadir Bashir; Rania Mamoun; Mamoun Eltlib; Abdel Aziz Baraka Sakin; Hammour Ziada

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905583729 ISBN 13: 9781905583720

Publisher: Comma Press, 2016

Synopsis

Nestled on the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, the city of Khartoum has, for two centuries, been a focal point for both imperialism and rebellion, a breeding ground for revolutionary fervor, begrudging target for international criticism, and a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by wars conducted from this city. "The Book of Khartoum" provides an intimate tour of this city through the eyes of 10 of its best authors, representing a wide array of literary schools and political stances; from the social realism of old Communist stalwarts, to the fantastical abstraction of a new generation of Sudanese writers.

About this title

Review:

'An exciting, long-awaited collection showcasing some of Sudan's finest writers. There is urgency behind the deceptively languorous voices and a piercing vitality to the shorter forms. These writers lay claim over the contradictions and fusions of the capital city - Nile and drought, urbanization and village ties, what is African and what is Arab.' --Leila Aboulela

'The Book of Khartoum suggests Sudanese literature is in rude health. By turns funny and tragic, insightful and surreal, these deftly-translated tales illuminate, disturb and, perhaps most importantly, entertain. Seek out at once.' --The National

'The short stories have a cohesive quality to them, each one a compliment to the other in its own way, each one the brush stroke of a larger picture.' --Bookmunch

About the Author:

Raph Cormack is a Wolfson Foundation doctoral student in Arabic literature at the University of Edinburgh writing about Oedipus on the Nile. He has written on Arabic literature and culture for several publications, including Prospect, Rowayat, and the TLS. He also runs a small translation blog featuring selections from Egyptian and Sudanese writings.
Max Shmookler is a doctoral student in the department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University, where his research focuses on Sudanese literary history. He lived for many years in Cairo and has travelled broadly in the Middle East. His first collection of translations (with Najlaa Othman) was published online by Words Without Borders.

About this edition

• Publisher: Comma Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1905583729
• ISBN 13: 9781905583720
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96
• Editor: Raphael Cormack, Max Shmookler