When it is not maligning women and LGBT characters, The Italian is insightful on the contemporary history of Tunisia and the inner workings of its post-independent state.
Jana Elhassan's bodice-ripping Floor 99 makes Ismail Fayed wonder about the criteria by which works are selected for the IPAF shortlist.
If the novel should be called out for its superficial dabbling with mysticism and a problematic premise, it cannot be faulted for its masterful storytelling.
Shukri Mabkhout’s first novel starts with a bizarre tomb scene in which the main character beats to the ground an elderly imam reading the Quran at his father’s funeral.
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