The City’s Scents is the first part of a trilogy written by Tunisian academic Hussein al-Wad which explores the sociopolitical changes that took place in a small city in Tunisia. These changes are depicted in the narrative via the scents of the city which change across four main periods in Tunisian history: the era of the Beyliks, the French colonial era, Habib Bourguiba’s regime, and then Ben Ali’s. Divided into 16 chapters, the novel explores the scents, such as olives, or water, that reflect particular social moments and political changes. The narrative is imbued with satirical and humorous language in its experimental documentation of Tunisia’s history. Its sequel, His Excellency the Minister   سعادته … السيد الوزير(2011), was shortlisted for the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and Al-ghirbān الغربان (working title : The Crows) was published in 2018 a few weeks before the author’s death.

Approximate number of pages: 204 p.

Foreign rights: contact the author‘s publisher