Author(s): Ziedan Youssef

Literature

In this haunting and controversial English-language debut, Youssef Ziedan confronts issues as vital today as they were one and a half millennia ago.

Set in the 5th century AD, Azazeel is the beautifully written tale of a Coptic monk's journey from Upper Egypt to Alexandria and then Syria during a time of turmoil in Christianity. The self-christened 'Hepa' embarks on a journey both physical and spiritual, encountering the devil, Azazeel, and the hardship of severe temptation. At times he is able to resist and at other times yielding to the strengths of his desire, realizing that in some cases, temptation and enlightenment can be two sides to the same coin.
Youseff Ziedan's Arab Booker Prize-winning novel highlights how history is often distorted by those who write it and how the weaknesses and credibilities of opposing ideas are often obscured or undermined to present us with a different version of reality. Azazeel is a novel that forces us to re-think many of our long-held beliefs, invites us to rediscover a lost history.