The Calligrapher's Secret

Description

Even as a young man, Hamid Farsi is acclaimed as a master of the art of calligraphy. But as time goes by, he sees that weaknesses in the Arabic language and its script limit its uses in the modern world. In a secret society, he works out schemes for radical reform, never guessing what risks he is running. His beautiful wife, Noura, is ignorant of the great plans on her husband's mind. She knows only his cold, avaricious side and so it is no wonder she feels flattered by the attentions of his amusing, lively young apprentice. And so begins a passionate love story of a Muslim woman and a Christian man.

Author description

Rafik Schami was born in Damascus in 1946 and has lived in political exile in Germany since 1970. Today he is one of the most successful Arab writers in Europe and writes in his adopted language of German. His novels have been translated into 21 languages and received numerous international awards. His novel The Dark Side of Love (Arabia Books, 2009) was shortlisted for The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.