| I
am an American citizen, but have spent most of my life in East and
North Africa. Among other activities, I have started a library in South
Sudan, been involved with a traveling peace theater in Burundi, and
worked with Sudanese refugees in Cairo. I am currently a U.S. resident.
My first novel, The Book of Flying, was published by Riverhead Books in 2004. Ursula K. Le Guin said of the book that it was "original in concept, elegant in language, funny, cruel, and tender," and Booklist called it "a beautiful and haunting modern fable that reads like exquisite poetry." It has been published in a number of countries. The Book on Fire, which Ian Watson called "gritty, surreal, intoxicating, full of wisdoms and madnesses," was chosen as one of the hundred best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2010. I have published articles on subjects such as architecture and Alexandrian history, as well as a translation of Arthur Rimbaud’s The Illuminations. My translations, fiction, and essays have been featured in Interfictions, Arabesques, Rhubarb Magazine, on NPR, and elsewhere. Visit my blog for more musings, art, and links. I am married to writer Sofia Samatar. We have two children. |