What happens after Scheherazade tells her last tale and the Sultan spares her life—does the real story end, or does the nightmare of power just begin?

In Arabian Nights and Days (ليالي ألف ليلة), Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz breathes new life into the classic A Thousand and One Nights. Moving beyond the original tales, Mahfouz constructs a mesmerizing sequel set in a medieval Islamic city that feels startlingly familiar to the modern reader. Here, widespread corruption plagues the powerful, religious sects plot underground to overthrow unscrupulous regimes, and the chief of police fights a losing battle against social unrest. Amidst this political turmoil, genies still emerge from bottles to intervene in human lives—sometimes bringing magic, but often revealing the capriciousness of fate. Colorful and entertaining, this novel is a brilliant allegory of power, justice, and the supernatural.