The Verb's African Book Club: 'Season of Migration to the North' by Tayeb Saleh

A student returns to his village after his obsession with the West had led him to London and the beds of women with similar obsessions about the mysterious East.

Book Two: 'Season of Migration to the North' by Tayeb Saleh

Listen to Nii discussing the book  

Novelist writing in Arabic, was born in the northern axis of central Sudan.

After gaining an advanced degree in London, he worked for the BBC as the head of Arabic drama.

In 2001 his Season Of Migration To The North was selected by a panel of Arab writers and critics as the most important Arab novel of the twentieth century.

Before writing Season of Migration to the North, Tayeb Salih had the novella The Wedding of Zein published which was made into an Arabic film and won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976. He has also written many acclaimed short stories.

His Politics: Clash of cultures. An interesting African writer to explore because of the peculiarities of using a non-Western as well as non-African (strictly speaking) writing language, and how he demonstrates through dialogue in his work that attitudes are individual, not necessarily national/societal.

Recommended: Season of Migration to the North

• The Verb website
• Find out about this year's Caine Prize
• The Verb's African Book Club: 'Song of Ocol' by Okot p'Bitek