Böcker av Syed Mujtaba Ali

Some time between the two World Wars, Syed Mujtaba Ali set out on shipfrom India to travel to Europe. Leaving Sri Lanka behind, sailing in the ArabianSea and then along the coast of Africa, he crossed the Horn of Africa, until theship reached Suez Port. Along the way, Ali collected a bunch of stories-abouthis new young friends Paul and Percy, who became his loyal acolytes; and theeccentric Abul Asfia Noor Uddin Muhammad Abdul Karim Siddiqi, who carriedtoffees, a gold cigarette case, and other sundry items in his capacious overcoatpocket and who had the answer to all problems though he barely spoke a wordever.As the ship makes its way, Mujtaba Ali tells stories of the island of Socrota withits pirates in search of treasure. He dives into history and recounts how thegiraffe went to China via India from Africa. And when the friends get off atSuez, in order to see the pyramids of Giza, he provides a deeply entertainingand perceptive description of Egypt-from its taxi drivers and café owners, topharaohs and tomb hunters.Erudite but light-hearted, brimming with laughter and with many moments oftenderness, Tales of a Voyager is a gem of a travelogue from the author who wrotethe immensely popular travel account of Afghanistan, In a Land Far from Home(Deshe Bideshe).'Syed Mujtaba Ali knows how to perform magic through his writing!One moment his humour and wit will make you break out in roaringlaughter and the next you find yourself buried in deep thought beingtouched by the poignance in his satire.'-Dhaka Tribune

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TARAN KHAN, author of Shadow CityTRANSLATED FROM BENGALI BY NAZES AFROZAn intrepid traveller and true cosmopolitan, legendary Bengali writer Syed Mujtaba Ali spent a year and a half teaching in Kabul from 1927 to 1929. Curious to explore Afghan society, Mujtaba Ali had access to a cross-section of Kabul's population, and in In a Land Far from Home he chronicles his experiences with a keen eye and a wicked sense of humour.Mujtaba Ali's travels coincided with a critical point in Afghanistan's history: when the reformist King Amanullah tried to steer his country towards modernity by encouraging education for girls and giving them the choice of removing the burqa. Branded a 'kafir', Amanullah was overthrown by the bandit leader Bacha-e-Saqao. With striking parallels to twenty-first century events in the region, In a Land Far From Home is the only first-hand account of this tumultuous period by a non-Afghan.Providing a unique perspective, Mujtaba Ali's fascinating account is brought to life by contact with a colourful cast of characters at all levels of society -- from the garrulous Pathan Dost Muhammed and the gentle Russian giant Bolshov, to his servant, Abdur Rahman and his partner in tennis, the Crown Prince Enayatullah.