International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) Longlist 2021.

Against the background of armed struggle between the Sudanese government and the opposition supported by Eritrea, Urfa is imprisoned in military camps in Wadi Al Aqiq. Moving from one camp to another, she and the other female prisoners frequently are badly mistreated and raped. Since she is beautiful and her green eyes make her stand out from the other women, Urfa suffers more than they do. When she manages to escape, she finds herself alone with nobody to support her, and pregnant. At last, she finds refuge in a church in Port Sudan, where she fulfils her ultimate dream – to study. After her teacher falls in love with her, they marry and have a child, but Urfa’s sufferings are not over. As a Muslim married to a Christian, she endures harsh social opposition to her marriage and is accused of apostasy. The novel explores the themes of suffering, surviving war and the determination of human beings to make their own choices.

Hamed al-Nazir is a journalist and novelist, born in Sudan in 1975. He currently works in the newsroom of Qatar Television and writes for several newspapers and websites.