Rawan's Middle Eastern Fiction Reading Group

Welcome back to the Middle Eastern Fiction Reading Group! Join us as we explore powerful and complex voices from the Middle East, a region that has an ancient, rich literary tradition. We will delve into novels that illuminate issues of identity, exile, resistance and belonging, told by authors whose work challenges and enriches our understanding of the Middle East and its people.

This November, Rawan has selected A Mouth Full of Salt by Reem Gafar, set in a seemingly idyllic small farming village in 1980s Northern Sudan. The novel opens with the news of a missing — and presumably drowned — young boy, Mohamed Hamid Kheir Alseed, which throws the residents of the village into complete disarray. What unfolds next is a series of peculiar and inexplicable tragedies that befall the village: dead camels, mysterious fires and strange illnesses — all of which is blamed on the women of the village. Besides racism and anti-Blackness, Gaafar also explores themes of gender and class hierarchy. The sum of this novel makes for a thought-provoking and timely read.

Whether you have roots in the region or are just beginning to discover its literature, this group is open to all. Our discussions are welcoming, insightful, and always grounded in curiosity and respect.

"The missing boy’s father stood silently a short distance away from the group of men and boys, his hands clasped behind his back, staring into the water from under thick, black eyebrows. He wore only a cap on his head – no turban – and did not join in the discussion. Between the cap and the left eyebrow, a jagged scar climbed across his temple and parted the hair on the side of his head. The villagers did not invite him to join them nor asked his opinion, only glanced in his direction occasionally, raising their voices so that their discussion was heard, pausing briefly after each suggestion was put forth, awaiting approval or refusal. Neither was offered and so they went on with their business. On the ground between the men and the father were the missing boy’s abandoned sandals and his crumpled aragi. One sandal lay on its side, betraying its owner’s haste to jump into the water that morning."