A novel of identity and resistance from one of Palestine’s most striking literary voices—written entirely from behind bars

Nur, a Palestinian refugee from a camp near Ramallah, is often mistaken for an Ashkenazi Jew. Fluent in Hebrew and with a degree in archaeology, he dreams of freedom beyond the fence, and of writing a novel about Mary Magdalene based on the Gnostic Gospels. When he discovers an Israeli ID card in the pocket of a secondhand coat, he assumes a false identity and is hired for an archaeological dig near Megiddo. Passing as an Israeli, he moves through a world previously off-limits and gains insight into the lives of those he’s been taught to perceive as enemies.

As Nur’s borrowed identity deepens, so does the rift within. Through an exploration of this internal conflict, Basim Khandaqji’s Arabic Booker-winning novel offers a meditation on the personal toll of occupation and the elusive desire to belong—fully, honestly, and without fear.

Basim Khandaqji
Basim Khandaqji was arrested in 2004 at the age of 21 and sentenced by an Israeli military court to three life sentences. The attack for which he was convicted was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. International human rights observers have criticised his arrest and trial. From prison, Khandaqji has completed his education and authored four novels, two poetry collections, and hundreds of essays.