The Book of Damascus

About

Damascus is a city of contradictions. Simultaneously the oldest city in the world, rich with Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic history architecture, and one of the most modern and developed in the Middle East, it stands at a cross-roads between East and West, the past and the future, peace and war. It fully merits its titles 'City of Jasmine' and 'the Pearl of the East', while being riddled with checkpoints, pointless interruptions from the military, and traffic-jams. Though the devastating Civil War seems to have ground to a stalemate, the tensions and psychological trauma of this conflict linger on. And yet, the people of Damascus maintain their reputation for being some of the warmest, kindest, most welcoming people in the world.

The stories in this anthology reflect some of these contradictions, with tales of love, heartbreak, political satire and adsurdity. Featuring writers both from and currently living in the city, it captures glimpses of the 12-year conflict that beset the country that no amount of journalism could hope to come close to.

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