The Shell

The Shell: Memoirs of a Hidden Observer

By Moustafa Khalifa

This compelling first novel is the astonishing story of a Syrian political prisoner of conscience- an atheist mistaken for a radical Islamist- who was locked up for 13 years without trial in one of the most notorious prisons in the Middle East. The novel takes the form of a diary which Musa keeps in his head and then writes down upon his release. In Tadmur prison, the mood is naturally bleak and yet often very beautifully captured. The narrator, a young graduate, is defiant and stoical, and somehow able to pick out humor and irony in the shocking events and characters he describes.

Mustafa Khalifa is a Syrian novelist living in exile. Besides writing fiction, he is an eloquent and insightful political commentator on the situation in his native country.

Paul Starkey served as head of the Arabic department at Durham University, UK, and a co-director of the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, until his recent retirement. His translations include works by Adania Shibli, Mansoura Ez Eldin, and Edwar al-Kharrat.

Publisher: Interlink, 2023
Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN: 978-1-62371-713-1