Toy of Fire
Bachir Mefti
Toy of Fire is the story of a meeting between the novelist, Bachir Mefti, and a mysterious character called Ridha Shawish, who presents Mefti with a manuscript containing his autobiography. Shawish’s goal in life has always been not to turn out like his father, who ran a prison in the seventies and committed suicide in the eighties. However, circumstances or fate drive him to follow in his father’s footsteps, resulting in him becoming a leading member of a secret organisation.
For a detailed critique of the novel by journalist Anwar Hamed, click here.
Nomination
2012 Shortlist
Bachir Mefti
Country of origin Algeria
About the author
Bachir Mefti is a writer and journalist, born in 1969 in Algiers, Algeria. He has published a number of short story collections and novels, including: Archipelago of Flies (2000); Witness of the Darkness (2002); Perfumes of the Mirage (2005); Trees of the Resurrection (2007) and Maps of Nightly Passion (2009). Some of his works have been translated into French. He often writes articles in the Arabic press and works in Algerian television as assistant producer of the cultural programme Maqamat.