Books like The queue by Basmah ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz

Set after a failed political uprising in Egypt, The Queue follows a society ruled by a mysterious centralized authority called the Gate. Citizens must obtain permission from the Gate for even the simplest tasks, yet the Gate remains closed, giving rise to an endless, sun‑baked line of hopeful and desperate people. Among them are a revolutionary journalist, a sheikh, a mother seeking her daughter’s medicine, and the brother of a security officer killed during the protests. The narrative centers on Yehia, injured during the uprising, whose bullet remains lodged in his pelvis. Tarek, a principled doctor treating Yehia, faces a dilemma: obey the Gate’s protocol or risk his career to operate and save a life denied by an authoritarian regime. The novel critiques authoritarianism’s manipulation of information, its mobilization of citizens, and its failure to uphold even the most loyal of its subjects, all while employing dark, subtle humor.

First publish date: 2016