The Libyan writer Najwa Bin Shatwan narrates the story of 'Slave Pens', where hidden secrets are revealed as they go up in flames. It explores the forbidden love between the master, Mohamed, and the slave, Tawidha, a love that defies the norms of masters who typically took slaves as concubines.

The father sends his son away on a trade journey to separate him from his beloved. Meanwhile, his mother gives Tawidha a drink to abort her unborn child, and marries her to another slave. Upon Mohamed's return, he learns that his family killed his unborn child and sent his beloved away, prompting him to search for her.

'Slave Pens' unveils the silenced history of slavery in Libya, a dark history whose shadows linger to this day.