Sunset oasis is a complex tale of love and frustrated passions, and of the vicissitudes of power during a time of change. Sep 24, 2019 the arabic booker prize was launched to some swingeing attacks in the arab press, with complaints about aping western models, and alleged geographical bias there were two egyptians and no tahef writers on the shortlist of six. Short synopsis about book sunset oasis by baha taher. Jun 10, 2010 sunset oasis by bahaa taher, 9780340998601, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Sunset oasis is a highly ambitious and accomplished work sunset oasis is a work of fiction in which nothing is small or petty, and everything in it the theme, the workmanship, and even the size is large.
Abdelouahab aissaoui wins 2020 international prize for. As youll see, i find the book somewhat problematic, particularly in its focus on theme ahead of story or character, which tends to malform two of its. When east meets west in bahaa tahers sunset oasis a post. Bahaa taher interestingly tells the story alternatively from the point of view of mahmoud, that of catherine, but also from that of the two main leaders sheikh yahya of the western clan and sheikh sabir of the eastern clan. I picked the novel sunset oasis by the egyptian writer bahaa taher, one of the most popular writers in arabic today. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher, 9780340924884, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher overdrive rakuten overdrive. His sixth novel is set in 19th century egypt at the beginning of the british occupation of the country. Sunset oasis 2007 his sixth novel is set in 19th century egypt at the beginning of the british occupation of the country. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher during most of the past two weeks it has been sweltering hot here in graz. Read it now enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to. A compelling and fascinating novel by one of egypts most acclaimed writers, and winner of the inaugural international prize for arabic fiction. Sunset oasis is an ambitiously weighty novel and its characters sometimes behave more like ciphers than real people. In 2008 he was awarded the inaugural international prize for arabic fiction for sunset oasis.
With the television series wahet elghoroub sunset oasis, based on bahaa taher s novel of the same name, director kamla abu zekry presents an innovative, sad and nostalgic work, a. Buy sunset oasis by taher, bahaa, davies, humphrey from amazons fiction books store. Bahaa tahers sunset oasis is set in siwa in the 1890s. It will make you think twice about the legacy of british colonialism, and thrice about civilisation being. Continuing his exploration of such themes as love, death and exile, this is his sixth novel from over a 40year career. Bahaa taher author a widely read novelist in the arab world, egyptian bahaa taher has received honours. Sunset oasis, by bahaa taher trans humphrey davies the. Taher s sunset oasis winner of the inaugural 2008 international prize for arabic fiction and lucidly translated by arabic scholar humphrey davies is a complex, mesmerizing and loosely. Best sellers help new releases coupons gift ideas gift cards home books sell computers electronics registry.
Winner of the first arabic booker 2008, the novel continues tahers preoccupation with the deepest drives and experiences of the human condition. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher books hachette australia. All delivery times quoted are the average, and cannot be guaranteed. The protagonist of the book is a nationalist egyptian police officer who suffers from an existential crisis. Tahers sunset oasis, published in cairo last november, was chosen out of novels from 18 countries. Before you rsvp please make sure you read the following.
The desert is a space in which people discover themselves, says the author bahaa taher, and the desert is where his novel sunset oasis is set, in the last years of the 19th century. Adding a powerful new work to an everexpanding postcolonial arab literature, bahaa tahers latest novel wahat alghuroub sunset oasis evokes various. He was active in the countrys leftwing literary circles of the 1960s and in the mid 1970s was prevented from publishing his work. He was awarded the inaugural international prize for arabic fiction in 2008.
Winner 2008 the international prize for arabic fiction ipaf sunset oasis bahaa taher. Sunset oasis, his sixth novel and the winner of the first international prize for arabic fiction the arabic booker in 2008, is no exception. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher, 9780340924877, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Jul 01, 2010 bahaa taher was born in 1935 in cairo, egypt. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Adding a powerful new work to an everexpanding postcolonial arab literature, bahaa tahers latest novel wahat alghuroub sunset oasis evokes various aspects of the late 19thcentury egyptian social, cultural and political life under british rule. Sunset oasis is bahaa taher s sixth novel and winner of the international prize for arabic fiction, a joint venture launched in 2007 by the booker prize foundation and emirates foundation. The banipal prize, whose full name is the saif ghobashbanipal prize for arabic literary translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator or translators for the published english translation of a fulllength literary work in the arabic language. Bahaa tahers 2007 2009 sunset oasis, is highly praised for its richness of themes and techniques and for exhibiting social and historical consciousness. All is blended in the main character of this arabic booker prize winner and beautifully.
The novel, published by dar mim, was named as this years winner by the chair of judges, muhsin almusawi. Although the bookstore did not have the aunt safiyya book that i was looking for, they did have love in exile, which bahaa taher and i did not really discuss at any length. The meeting between bahaa taher and myself was arranged by the manager of the diwan bookstore in zamelek cairo. Basically, my reason for buying sunset oasis because the story was set in the oasis of siwah which was visited by alexander nearly two thousand five hundred years ago. Sunset oasis by taher, bahaa and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The desert is a space in which people discover themselves, says the author bahaa taher, and the desert is where his novel sunset oasis is set, in the last. Set in latenineteenthcentury egypt, this awardwinning novel introduces the work of an acclaimed egyptian writer for the first time to canadian readers. Set in the last years of the 19th century, sunset oasis wahat alghurub follows the misadventures of a middleaged. For our very first meetup we are reading sunset oasis by bahaa taher winner of the inaugural international prize for arabic fiction ipaf in 2008. Sunset oasis is a historical novel set in the sahara, more precisely in the siwa oasis in northwestern egypt about 50 km from the libyan border. With the television series wahet elghoroub sunset oasis, based on bahaa tahers novel of the same name, director kamla abu zekry presents an innovative, sad and nostalgic work, a fascinating. These should be added to the availability message time, to determine when the goods. This brief, beautifically crafted novel introduces one of the finest contemporary arab novelists to englishspeaking audiences. Sunset oasis international prize for arabic fiction. In it, bahaa taher, one of a group of egyptian writersincluding the nobel laureate naguib mahfouznoted for their revealing portraits of egyptian life and society, tells the dramatic story of a young muslim who, when his life is threatened, finds. Nov 01, 2006 sunset oasis is a historical novel set in the sahara, more precisely in the siwa oasis in northwestern egypt about 50 km from the libyan border. Bahaa taher was sacked as a radio journalist in egypt in the 1970s and driven into exile.
Amazing that a plot which follows the line of wellworn if unpredictable personal tragedy should include so much sociopolitical information. At once a complex tale of love and an exploration of power, occupation and rebellion, sunset oasis tells of people struggling to free themselves from the grip of the past. The spartan court by abdelouahab aissaoui was today announced as the winner of the th international prize for arabic fiction ipaf. Jan 11, 2010 taher s sunset oasis winner of the inaugural 2008 international prize for arabic fiction and lucidly translated by arabic scholar humphrey davies is a complex, mesmerizing and loosely. Taher is exceptionally well served by the translators of the two novels. Bahaa tahers sunset oasis inspires the widow of the desert.
Arabic booker prize, a a vivid compelling historical. In his latest novel, the eminent egyptian writer bahaa taher brings the question of identity to us once more. The prize was inaugurated in 2006 by the literary magazine banipal which promotes the diffusion of contemporary arabic literature through. After many years of exile in switzerland, he has recently returned to egypt. Adding a powerful new work to an everexpanding postcolonial arab literature, bahaa taher s latest novel wahat alghuroub sunset oasis evokes various aspects of the late 19thcentury egyptian social, cultural and political life under british rule.
Sunset oasis is an enthralling story of mystery and frustrated passions set against the backdrop of an exotic. Mahmoud, an egyptian police officer, is sent by his british commanders to become the district commissioner of siwa. Banipal prize for arabic literary translation wikipedia. A widely read novelist in the arab world, egyptian bahaa taher has received honours and awards in egypt and abroad, including the prestigious italian giuseppe acerbi prize and, in 2008, the booker prize foundations first international prize for arabic fiction for sunset oasis. Sunset oasis livros na amazon brasil 9780771083853. On monday, april 5th we discussed the egyptian author bahaa taher s sunset oasis wahat alghurub.
Buy a cheap copy of sunset oasis book by bahaa taher. Cairoborn bahaa taher, one of the bestread contemporary novelists in the arab world, won the first international prize for arabic fiction the arab booker for sunset oasis. And not as dressing up, but as integral understanding of nineteenth century egypt, and a clear prediction of the tensions of the egypt of today. There even is an entire chapter where alexander the great is giving his thoughts not entirely without merit. Apr 05, 2010 on monday, april 5th we discussed the egyptian author bahaa tahers sunset oasis wahat alghurub continuing his exploration of such themes as love, death and exile, this is his sixth novel from over a 40year career. And taher s novel, sunset oasis, won the ipac in 2008. It is a striking, haunting novel by one of the arab worlds most celebrated writers. In turns mesmerizing and shocking, sunset oasis is an enthralling story of mystery and frustrated passions set against the backdrop of an exotic locale in the late 1800s. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Bahaa taher is one of the most respected living writers in the arab world. A subtle cast of characters emotively bring the complexity of politics to vivid, powerful life. The scene of the novel evolves at the end of the 19th century when egypt is under british rule. Sunset oasis and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Sunset oasis is an ambitiously weighty novel and its characters sometimes behave more like ciphers.
Shortly after graduating from the university of cairo, he started work in radio 2, the culture channel of the egypt. Bahaa taher s sunset oasis is set in siwa in the 1890s. Click to read more about sunset oasis by bahaa taher. Bahaa taher is one of the most distinguished of writers in arabic, and his fiction has both tenderness and. Other works related to egyptian culture masrahiyyat misriyya. Cairos greatest literary secret books the guardian. Oct 19, 2018 when the new commisioner in my egyptian bookish dejavu sunset oasis by bahaa taher takes charge of his post in the siwa oasis in northwestern egypt about 50 km from the libyan border in the 1890s, he knows all too well that he isnt welcome and that he shouldnt have given in to his irish wifes unreasonable wish to accompany him for. After the translation of sunset oasis into english, the times literary supplement said. Sunset oasis by bahaa taher, translated by humphrey davies 302pp, sceptre. Shortly after graduating from the university of cairo, he started work in radio 2, the culture channel of the egyptian radio. Bahaa was active in the leftwing and avantgarde literary circles of the 1960s and. In one of the first chapters of sunset oasis, veteran egyptian novelist bahaa taher uses the voice of mahmoud, the book s protagonist, to introduce siwa, an oasis located over 500km southwest. Banipal uk magazine of modern arab literature book.
Sunset oasis livros na amazon brasil 9780340924877. Buy sunset oasis book online at best prices in india on. Oct 27, 2009 bahaa tahers sunset oasis is set in siwa in the 1890s. Margaret drabble on a haunting translation of an arabic novel. Buy sunset oasis book online at low prices in india.