I Sweep the Sun Off Rooftops

From the author of ONLY IN LONDON a spectacular collection of stories published for the first time in the UK. 'Stunning laced with pathos, insight, and gentle humour a provocative glimpse into the multifaceted complexion of the modern Arab world' BOOKLIST 'Al-Shaykh has a subtle touch and a mischievous sense of humour her stories are like the silk her characters are so fond of' Ahdaf Soueif, WASHINGTON POST

At the intersection of tradition and modernity, East and West, childhood and adulthood, the characters in this book find their way through the shifting and ambiguous power relationships that change the landscape of the modern Arab world.At the intersection of tradition and modernity, East and West, childhood and adulthood, Hanan al-Shaykh's characters find their way through the shifting and ambiguous power relationships that shape the landscape of the modern Arab world. A woman feigns insanity to escape from an empty marriage, only to have her plans backfire; a young Danish missionary finds herself slowly and inexorably drawn into the world of the Yemeni village where she has been stationed; and a woman's lighthearted attempt to contact the world of the dead turns serious when she encounters the spirit of her late husband. At once clever and evocative, I SWEEP THE SUN OFF ROOFTOPS is a collection of great insight, wit and poignancy, placing Hanan al-Shaykh among the foremost cosmopolitan writers of our time.