Where Is My Name

Set in the 19th century, the narrative spans Damascus, London, and Trieste. It follows Qammour, a young Syrian woman who survives the 1860 massacre of Damascus and enters service in the household of Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous British orientalist and translator of One Thousand and One Nights. Traveling abroad allows Qammour to master the English language and develop her literary voice. However, friction arises when Burton attempts to dictate how she records the history of her homeland, pushing a eurocentric perspective. Qammour resists this manipulation, but her manuscript is eventually published anonymously. El-Choukr crafts a subtle exploration of gender erasing, colonial appropriation of Eastern history, and the fight for identity and storytelling rights.

An IPAF-longlisted debut novel that offers a rich historical critique of orientalism, female erasure, and the battle over who gets to write Middle Eastern history.

Ideal for readers of modern Arabic historical fiction, fans of post-colonial studies, scholars of Middle Eastern history, and those interested in narratives of female empowerment.