In the Belly of the QueenAmal shocks the whole neighbourhood by beating up her classmate Younes. Her father defends her behaviour and encourages her to assert herself. From then on everyone avoids Amal and then her father leaves. Searching in vain for an explanation, Amal finds refuge with Younes and his mother Shahira, both outsiders like her. Years later, when the situation comes to a head and the conflict with Raffiqs gang escalates, Amal flees to Kurdistan to look for her

Alex Davies

not quite an autobiography

The North magazine is now 25 years old

The issue also features selections of poems by the Russian sci-fi writer Fedor Svarovsky

play-acting and double-dealing in the village remains a powerful debut in a distinguished literary career

Salah el-Moncef: Al Dente Excerpt from a novel in progress

the range of voice and mood is impressive

Feminist writers come together to respond to the crisis of 2020 in this unique collection of essays

Susan’s experience of being raised Catholic

translated by Jennie Feldman

The words and letters were either chosen by the individual customers or

sensuous details: tayberries