Bassem Khandaqji's Novel 'A Mask the Colour of the Sky' Reviewed

Bassem Khandaqji, a Palestinian author imprisoned for over 20 years for political activities, wrote the novel 'A Mask the Colour of the Sky' during his incarceration. The book, translated by Addie Leak and published by Europa Editions at £10.99, follows Nur Mahdi al-Shahdi, a Palestinian refugee in a camp near Ramallah. Nur's mother died in childbirth, his father is largely silent, and his best friend Murad has been held in Israeli detention for a decade. Nur researches 'Roman Palestine in the days of Jesus' to write a novel reclaiming Mary Magdalene's story from Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' (2003). He records voice memos for Murad, who sends smuggled messages about 'Zionist colonialism.' Nur, who speaks Hebrew and can pass as Ashkenazi Jewish, accidentally obtains an Israeli ID card and begins working in Jerusalem as a tour guide and then an archaeologist under the name Or Shapira. The novel explores identity, belonging, and the psychological toll of living under occupation, as Nur/Or's internal conflicts mirror the external world. The review praises the novel as a 'searing, heartbreaking study' relevant beyond Palestine.