The Omani author's book, originally published in Arabic, was translated by Nadine Snow and William Taggart for the University of Texas Publishing House, giving the novel a chance to be read worldwide. The translated version will be out on January, 10.
The book tells the story of a friendship between a middle-class Omani artist and an Ethiopian housekeeper, exploring various societal issues, from exploitation to racism, but without taking the an orientalist angle.
Huda Hamed is an Omani writer and journalist born in 1981. She has published five collections of short stories and four novels. In 2009, her short story collection "Things are not where they should be" won the Sharjah Prize for Arab Creativity and Best Omani Publication.