The Silence and the Roar

Amidst the roar of authoritarianism, one writer finds himself on a quest for silence and calm. Fathi, a writer no longer permitted to write, makes his way through an unnamed Middle Eastern city churned by marchers parading their support for the Leader. Stifled by heat and the noise of the chants, bullied by the brutal party faithful, Fathi presses treacherously against the crowd, only interested in visiting his mother and his girlfriend. But as he slowly makes progress through the city over the course of the day, it becomes clear that the regime has plans for him too - and he will soon be forced to make a terrible choice.

This funny, urgent novel asks what it means to have a conscience, to laugh, or to endure amidst the violence, strangeness and roar of tyranny. It is both a literary achievement and an act of courage by a brilliant Syrian writer.