Novel
The Man from Bashmour
البشموري
Salwa Bakr · 1998
Synopsis
In ninth-century Egypt, under Arab rule, the Coptic peasants of Bashmour, in the delta, rise up against a crushing land tax. Budayr, a kind-hearted servant, is sent by Father Joseph to persuade them to lay down their arms. In Bashmourite country, circumstances change his outlook, and, according to Abjjad, he is carried off as a war captive on a long journey that takes him from Egypt to Antioch, Baghdad and Jerusalem.
Context
The novel appeared in 1998 and caused controversy: some critics accused it of fuelling tensions between Copts and Muslims, others welcomed a rereading of a neglected period of Egyptian history, according to Al Jadid. The Arabic text mixes six languages, ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Syriac, Greek, Persian and Arabic. Nancy Roberts translated it into English in 2007. The Arab Writers Union has placed it among the hundred best Arabic novels.
Who it is for
A broad historical novel, grounded in research; translated into English, no French translation found.
Prizes and reception
A novel that was controversial when it appeared, which its defenders regard as a rediscovery of a forgotten episode of Coptic history.
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