A Mask the Colour of the Sky

<p><strong>Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction</strong></p><p><strong>A bold, psychologically rich novel of identity, exile, and resistance from one of Palestine’s most vital literary voices—written entirely from behind bars.</strong></p><p>Nur, a Palestinian refugee from a camp near Ramallah, is often mistaken for an Ashkenazi Jew. Fluent in Hebrew and with a degree in archaeology, he dreams of freedom beyond the fence, and of writing a novel about Mary Magdalene based on the Gnostic Gospels. When he discovers an Israeli ID card in the pocket of a secondhand coat, he assumes a false identity and is hired for an archaeological dig near Megiddo. Passing as an Israeli, he moves through a world previously off-limits and gains insight into the lives of those he’s been taught to perceive as enemies. </p><p>As Nur’s borrowed identity deepens, so does the rift within. Through an exploration of this internal conflict, Bassem Khandaqji’s Arabic Booker-winning novel offers a meditation on the personal toll of occupation and the elusive desire to belong—fully, honestly, and without fear. </p>