The Book of Damascus

The night before Eid, three teenage boys hatch a plan to ‘borrow’ money so they can attend a fancy picnic, only to discover the money is cursed...

After being injured in a bombing, a talented composer can no longer tell if his previous, ground-breaking compositions ever existed...

Following the security services’ purge of his department, a government employee decides his only option is to kill his boss...

After fourteen years of relentless civil war, it is perhaps remarkable that any creativity can still be found in Syria’s beleaguered capital. But Damascus is famously full of surprises.

The stories gathered here attest to the astonishing ingenuity, humour and dignity of its citizens – whether scratching for hope in the rubbish heaps of its poorest neighbourhoods, or aspiring to something higher in literary hangouts, like al-Rawda Café.

At the worst of times, rather than abandon their creativity, Damascenes lean into it, finding new ways to defy the suffering forced upon them. And, even with Assad gone, now may still prove to be the worst of times...

Praise for Reading the City:

‘Each time I read an anthology from Comma Press’s ‘Reading the City’ series, I am immensely impressed by the ability of the editors – who are always different – to order the stories so skilfully that I feel I’ve been taken on a real journey.’ — The Monthly Booking