Books from Tunisia

A buried letter holds the secret to a scandal in one of Tunis's great families. Reaching back to the interwar years and the real reformer Tahar Haddad, Amira Ghenim's polyphonic saga weaves forbidden love with Tunisian history. Shortlisted for the 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

• family saga
• multiple povs

A short 1964 novel by Tunisian writer Mohamed Laroussi el-Metoui, set in the countryside on the eve of independence. Halima, a young fatherless woman, marries the nationalist Abdelhamid and moves with him to the capital, where private life and clandestine anti-colonial struggle overlap. An intimate, unadorned portrait of ordinary Tunisian lives caught in a moment of national awakening.

• coming of age

A landmark 1967 Tunisian social-realist novel. In the south of Tunisia under French rule, a group of young nationalists set out to root out the hashish trade they see as a colonial affliction on their community. At its center is Abdullah, who falls into drug use before turning against it, and his tender love for Aisha, a disabled young woman newly arrived with her émigré father. Named among the hundred best Arabic novels.

• coming of age
• redemption arc

A young student is drawn by an older woman into her misty northern-Tunisian village and into a magical, Kafkaesque story of a city of masks. Sami Mokaddem's first Arabic novel — a genre-blending literary fantasy that circles political and social taboos.

Between past and present, a group of childhood friends — bound by love, rivalry, and resentment — are drawn back to the ruins of the Damous El Karita basilica in Carthage, where the buried past meets the present. A reflective novel about memory and friendship.

رواية للكاتبة التونسية فاتن الفازع عن الحب في المطلق — حبّ الآخر والذات والوطن — والصراع الداخلي والغربة النفسية. بلغةٍ بسيطة عميقة ونبرةٍ تمزج البوح بالنقد الاجتماعي اللاذع، تضع القارئ أمام مرآةٍ عاكسة لمشاعره وتجربته.

A history professor's academic trip to Yemen takes a dangerous turn when he uncovers ancient artifacts belonging to Hassan al-Sabah, the legendary founder of the Assassins. Suddenly, he's a fugitive, pursued by those who want the treasure destroyed and others who seek its power. He becomes entangled in a perilous journey through history, seeking to understand the secrets of a notorious medieval sect and its enigmatic leader.

• quest
• morally grey

أسرار عائلية is a Tunisian novel by Faten Fazaâ, the first woman to write in Tunisian Arabic dialect rather than Modern Standard Arabic. The book follows the narrator's awakening as she uncovers layers of her family's history and the secrets that shaped it — including her mother's past choices, illness, and death. Told with a raw, confessional voice, it blends personal memoir elements with fiction to explore themes of identity, sacrifice, and the weight of what is left unsaid across generations.

A landmark collection of fifteen short stories by the Tunisian satirist Ali al-Du'aji, gathered from old newspapers and magazines and published in 1969. With a wry, affectionate, and biting eye, al-Du'aji turns everyday Tunisian life into sharp, humorous social observation.

A fictionalized story of the Tunisian social reformer Al-Taher Al-Hadad, unfolding on the margins of the Tunisian Revolution across Tunis, Sousse and Hammamet, and probing the psychological toll of Tunisia's post-2011 political and social upheaval.

This collection brings together a diverse group of authors, from emerging talents to established voices in Tunisian literature, united by a common theme: the night. Each story offers a unique perspective, playing with emotions, suspense, and unexpected twists. The authors have generously donated their work to support 'Children of the Moon,' making this a truly special literary and humanitarian endeavor.

• multiple povs

Mahmoud Messadi's novel centers on Abu Hurayra, exploring existential philosophy through a dense, archaic linguistic style. This work is considered a significant literary achievement, recognized as one of the top 100 Arabic novels.

Mahmoud Messadi's philosophical masterpiece follows the journey of Abu Hurayra as he moves from a life of sensory indulgence toward spiritual and existential enlightenment. Through a series of symbolic encounters, the story explores the tension between human desires and the search for absolute truth. It remains a landmark of modern Arabic literature for its unique blend of classical style and modern existentialist themes.

• quest
• coming of age