Colonial Fiction

Farah Ibn al-Umda's dramatic historical Sa`idian novel takes place during the period of the English occupation of Egypt. The novel follows the adventures of a young doctor who is assigned to join a battalion of doctors heading to Upper Egypt to confront the deadly cholera epidemic sweeping the region. The young doctor faces many challenges and internal conflicts during his journey, with the mayor and his assistants confronting their underestimation of the epidemic and their desire to hold a celebration for the mayor’s son so that all the villagers can gather at the same time in one place.

The island of Borneo was once the most heavily wooded in the world, and its people have always carved wood beautifully. In Killernova, grappling with his heritage, Omar Musa remixes this ancient art form with fiery poetry forged in the stars. With equal parts swagger, humour and vulnerability, Musa charts a journey through the colonial history of Southeast Asia, environmental destruction, bushfires, race in Australia, the isolation and addiction of COVID lockdown, family, lost love and, ultimately, recovery.