• Book Features:
• His novel "Throwing Sparks..." won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2010.
• "Abdo Khal is known for the epic spirit in his narrative writings." - Al-Wasat newspaper.
• Many of his stories have been translated into English.

Synopsis:

"A neighborhood blessed with everything except joy. I never saw anyone smile or exchange greetings; everyone keeps their eyes to the ground, rarely looking up. Hands raise in a clipped wave and return to their place with extreme speed, their upward motion suggesting a greeting when in fact it's a cover to keep the eyes from straying off the drawn path. I have lived in this house for twenty years, maybe a little more, and in all that time, no one has visited me, nor have I sat with anyone to learn their news. During these years, isolation grew within me, and I no longer cared to know what was happening nearby. I realized that each of us lives as a single, indivisible cell, or like adjacent graves, each person in their own tomb."

About the Author:

Abdo Khal is a Saudi writer and novelist. His novels published by Dar Al Saqi include "The Clay," "Debauchery," "Cities That Eat Grass," "The Seducer's Agony," "Throwing Sparks," "Death Passes From Here," "The Days Hide No One," and "Barking." His short story collection is titled "There Is Nothing That Pleases."

Publication Details:

• Publishing House: Dar Al Saqi for Publishing & Distribution
• Year of Publication: 2015
• Number of Pages: 174
• ISBN: 9786144258163