In Search of Azar

Nizar Aghri

One of the two main protagonists, Eid, reminisces about his boyhood and youth and his relationship with his close friend Azar, who left the city of Qamishli suddenly, with his Jewish family. Eid recalls how their special friendship began when they were young boys and how it developed and grew stronger, before the shock of parting. As he narrates the story in detail, the diversity of life in Syrian cities is also revealed, with their assortment of religions, sects and races. The two friends finally meet again after forty years, when Eid’s daughter meets Azar’s son. In Search of Azar is a quest for the ambivalent innocence of childhood. It also puts social diversity and difference under the spotlight, filled with optimism for the future.

Publisher

Al Kotob Khan

Nomination

2022 Longlist