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= The Longing of the Dervish =

Background
Set in 19th century Sudan during the collapse of the theocratic state, The Longing of the Dervish follows the story of Bakhi Mindeel, a former slave newly released from prison and seeking revenge for his imprisonment. His release coincides with the end of the Mahdist war – a British colonial war fought between Egypt and a section of Sudanese society seeking independence under their religious leader, Mahdi – when Mahdi and his followers are defeated and force to flee. The Longing of the Dervish examines the social conflict between white Christian and Islamic Sufi cultures in Sudan, exploring the concepts of love, religion, betrayal and political struggle.

The Author
Hammour Ziada is a Sudanese writer and journalist, born in Khartoum in 1977. He has worked for charitable and civil society organisations, and as a journalist for a number of Sudanese newspapers, including Al-Mustaqilla, Ajras al-Horriya, and Al-Jarida. He was Chief Editor of the cultural section of the Sudanese Al-Akhbar paper. He is the author of several works of fiction: A Life Story from Omdurman (short stories, 2008), Al-Kunj (a novel, 2010), Sleeping at the Foot of the Mountain (short stories, 2014). His second novel, The Longing of the Dervish (2014), won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2014 and is longlisted for the 2015 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

NAGUIB MAHFOUZ MEDAL
The American University in Cairo has named Sudanese writer Hammour Ziada as the winner of the 19th edition of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature for his novel, "Shawq Al Darwish" (The Longing of the Dervish). The winning novel, which was published in Cairo by Dar Ain for Publishing and Distribution, is set in 19th century Sudan at the time of the Mahdi Revolution. The novel does not celebrate the revolution as much as it celebrates the humane aspect of it. The jury committee, comprised of Dr. Shereen Abouelnaga, Dr. Mona Tolba, Dr. Rasheed El Enany and Humphrey Davies, gave a statement which said: "The award-winning novel masterfully narrates a tale of a world that combines love, despotism and slavery during the Mahdi Revolution in Sudan, painting a vivid multicolor portrait of characters and events of a place and a time that are unfamiliar to the reader." It is worth mentioning that Hammour Ziada is considered the first Sudanese writer to win the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.