Book features. A rich biography of an Arab creator filled with life's details, narrated by Maqbool Al-Alawi in an engaging fictional style. His novel, “Fetnah Jeddah,” was chosen for the longlist of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (Booker) in 2011. His novel, “Years of Love and Sin,” reached the shortlist for the Saudi Novel Award in its second edition in 2012.

Overview: “Ziryab”, “the black bird with the beautiful voice,” is the name given to the student by Ishaq Al-Mosuli after discovering his exceptional talent in singing and playing the oud. He dedicates himself to training him in singing and oud playing until the student becomes a master player, introducing him to Caliph Harun Al-Rashid. However, situations change when the teacher becomes jealous of the student's acclaim by the caliph, prompting him to demand his departure from Baghdad. This marks the beginning of Ziryab's challenges, eventually leading him to Andalusia where Prince Abd Al-Rahman bin Al-Hakam honors him. Ziryab continues his journey of creativity in art and science, generously offering to a land that embraced his talent until his burial there. This is a rich biography of an Arab creator filled with life's details, narrated by Maqbool Al-Alawi in an engaging fictional style.

Maqbool Al-Alawi is a Saudi short story writer and novelist. Publishing house: Dar Al-Saqi for Publishing and Distribution. Number of Pages: 224. Year of publication: 2014.