A Mask the Color of the Sky

By: Khandaqji, Bassem

Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction

A bold, psychologically rich novel of identity, exile, and resistance from one of Palestine's most vital literary voices--written entirely from behind bars.

Nur, a young Palestinian refugee from a camp near Ramallah, is often mistaken for an Ashkenazi Jew. Fluent in Hebrew and with a degree in archaeology, he dreams of freedom beyond the fences of the camp--and of writing a novel about Mary Magdalene based on the Gnostic Gospels. When he discovers an Israeli ID card in the pocket of a secondhand coat, he assumes a false identity and is hired for an archaeological dig near Megiddo. Passing as an Israeli, he moves through a world previously off-limits, gaining insight into the lives and beliefs of those he's been taught to see as enemies.

But as Nur's borrowed identity deepens, so does the rift within: between Nur, the Palestinian, and "Ur," the Israeli. By exploring this internal conflict, unfolding alongside friendships and love affairs, Bassem Khandaqji offers a meditation on the personal toll of occupation and the elusive desire to belong somewhere--fully, honestly, and without fear.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FC5W55P4
• ISBN13: 9798889661702
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Europa Editions
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.1" x 8.1"