If you asked any elder at Sultan's café about Qallaf bin Saleh's stories, they would promptly answer: "Bin Saleh talks about his life, his craft, and our generation." His peers value his knowledge of his trade and tools: the axe, drill, bow, indaza, saw, and adze. He uses these in his tales, not just as tools of his trade, but as devices to explore his life and what he has learned, experienced, and desires. One day, while recounting his work details, he told Ibrahim: For building a ship like the Ghanjah, the keel must be chosen. In a sharp tone, he asked: Do you know what the keel is? Then added; It's the ship's base or spine, needing to be straight and flawless, made from teak or a wood called 'Balad' sourced from Indonesia. It's known for being strong and durable with a forest-like scent. Bin Saleh continues: Work starts from zero by securing the bow, termed the chest, then the stern, called the transom. He gestures, shaping its ribs, highlighting the importance of balance between the bow and stern on a single vertical level. Stating firmly that the ribs should be identical. He then mimed the ship's frame in the air, warning if any mistake occurs during construction: "The frame snaps like a crushed matchbox." He said this firmly, calmly.

• Jian - Yahya Baban - born in Baghdad in 1930.
• Worked as a journalist, wrote articles, published short stories, and several plays in Iraqi and Arab press and magazines.
• Left his homeland in August 1963, after the bloody Aflaki coup in Iraq. He hasn't returned since.
• Member of the Iraqi Writers' Union.

Publishing house: Dar Al-Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
Number of Pages: 336
Year of publication: 2008