The Return of the Sheikh

Mohammed Abdel Nabi

The Return of the Sheikh

The Return of the Sheikh is a collection of intertwined stories which follow the life of Ahmad Rajaa'i. He recalls the episodes of his long life and breaks the rules of time and the inevitability of death by becoming a young man again. He wants to write down his story in two notebooks but circumstances prevent him from doing so. A young man and a young woman appear in the story. The youth, who has the same name as the Sheikh, tells the hero's story from another angle. He and the aged Sheikh vie for the love of Muna, the young woman, who is not interested in their struggle. The tale told by Ahmad Rajaa'i the youth continues, and it seems as if their narrative game will not end even with the death of the Sheikh.

Nomination

2013 Longlist