Book Features

• The novel "Ziryab" won the award for Best Novel by a Saudi Writer at the Riyadh Book Fair in 2015.
• His novel "Fitnat Jeddah" was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2011.
• "A beautiful novel that marries history and geography, narration and description, travel literature and biography..." - Al-Hayat newspaper (on the novel "Ziryab").

Synopsis

Saadoun's village was completely forgotten, like hundreds of other villages far from urban centers across the country. But things changed after the men with blond hair and blue eyes arrived. "Mr. Deekan" was among them, and he quickly formed a strong friendship with Saadoun, who would buy French Liras from the Bedouins for him at a low price in exchange for a gramophone and Elvis Presley records. When Ghassan went to take English lessons with Nadine, his teacher's wife, he had no idea he would fall madly in love with Agnetha Fältskog, the singer of the Swedish band ABBA, and that he would pursue her for the rest of his life...

About the Author

Maqbul Al-Alawi is a Saudi short story writer and novelist. His novel "Years of Love and Sin" was shortlisted for the Saudi Novel Award in its second session in 2012. His novel "Ziryab" was published by Dar Al Saqi.

Publishing House: Dar Al Saqi Publishing & Distribution
Number of Pages: 208
Year of Publication: 2016