Iraqi writer Ali al-Sibai has recently released a collection of short stories entitled “Palm that loved having their heads eaten by birds” as part of the General Egyptian Book Organization’s series “Arab Creativity.”
The collection includes 12 stories that grapple with images and scenes from Iraqi life, in which the people’s suffering and their intertwined social ties are highlighted.
The genre diverges among the collection’s stories, some of which are fictional, others that are real, and fantasies.
It sheds light on and tracks the worlds of Iraqi figures who have suffered from persecution and injustice, figures caught in various violent situations that tear their tragic lives apart and push them to change their mindsets.
Sibai seeks to portray an array of atmospheres in his works, while diving deep into the depths of his marginalized, broken, and forgotten characters to show us how they feel and think, making his stories hit readers straight in their hearts.
