Sudan

The widest-read contemporary Sudanese writer is retrieving from history the stolen spaces of her country’s women, and bringing nuance to an image of Islam. In a time of war, her fiction expands a national consciousness.

As war rages in Sudan, we turn to one of its major artists, a pioneering figure in the 2000s resurgence in African literature.

The Women’s Prize-nominated and Caine Prize-winning author returns with her sixth novel, set in 1880s Sudan: “This is why she does not stop when she feels the sting. What sting?”

Even with its serious subject, the novel finds balance through sustained humor and is enhanced by Mahjoub’s ear for dialogue.

In the Sudanese author’s road trip novel, local music takes centre stage.

“The truth is, I’ve been trying to write this novel for years,” the British Sudanese author tells us. “I wanted to write about the impact of cultural fascism on artists, painters and musicians.”