Witch Doctor of Umm Suqeim, The 9781910409817 Paperback

Banned in DubaiA vision of contemporary Dubai from the perspective of a variety of expats from different parts of the world, telling tales of hardship and the high-life, paranoia and alienation, cruelty and love. The locations switch from parties at mansions to high-rise apartment blocks, taxi interiors to gyms, featuring an array of characters that span the citys wide social spectrum.A writer who is clearly an exquisite stylist, with copious and choice vocabulary and a succinct restraint of manner –Stevie DaviesThis is how we need to assess culture clash and, indeed, general confrontation born from intractable socio-political differences; with cool, clear, precise and prismatic prose. Hawes does exactly this with tremendous skill and sensitivity –Niall GriffithsThe prose is purposeful, delicate where necessary –Rachel BillingdonHawes collection of short stories are a superb snapshot of the expat experience, devoid of cliche and dripping with pathos and humour and fear and scandal and hope –James Montague