Congratulations to kamila shamsie who has been announced the winner of the womens prize for fiction 2018 with her novel, home fire. Kamila shamsies novel home fire is a modernday take on the greek play antigone. It reimagines sophocles s play antigone unfolding among british muslims. Home fire 2017 is the seventh novel by contemporary british writer kamila shamsie. And this, essentially, is the dilemma faced by aneeka, the beating heart of home fire, kamila shamsies man bookerlonglisted loose contemporary reworking of antigone. The same year, home fire was longlisted for the man booker prize. In home fire, kamila shamsies seventh novel, the britishpakistani writer re imagines antigone for our age of terror. Kamila shamsies new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize, is a bold retelling of.
Home fire by kamila shamsie, go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still. How does it differ from the world war i meaning, keep the home fires burning. Muslim brits living in the shadow of their fathers terrorism, and the politics of the powerful people who treat them with hostility and contempt. The emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence the emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence. There is a multitude of things that the kamila shamsie s home fire excels in but by far, the most beautiful thing about the novel was that there are no villainous characters here and there are a lot of protagonists. What is morally right for one might not be right for the other. Written by kamila shamsie, audiobook narrated by tania rodrigues. A contemporary reimagining of sophocles antigone, home fire is an urgent, fiercely compelling story of loyalties torn apart when love and politics collide confirming kamila shamsie as.
That is just as well the reader might be hard pressed to pick up on the. Home fire is a literary thriller about prejudice and the slide into radicalisation, but it is also an expansive novel about love. From the day to day normality of life, to the occasional awkwardness and unease as cultures clash, to extreme questions such as radicalisation. I very much enjoyed and admired home fire by kamila shamsie, a politically and psychologically acute novel modelled on sophocless antigone but. Chair of judges sarah sands said of the judging process. Kamila shamsie s latest novel, home fire, depicts this very phenomenon. What is a sisters responsibility to her terrorist brother. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. The dust jacket of kamila shamsie s home fire announces the novel to be a contemporary reimagining of antigone. While were unable to meet in the theater, were taking our book club online.
Kamila shamsies brilliant home fire is a greek tragedy for. The dust jacket of kamila shamsies home fire announces the novel to be a contemporary reimagining of antigone. An immigrant, muslim home secretary, the gullible young muslims and the complex lives of migrant families kamla weaves a story of grief, loyalty, politics and love that makes these characters and their circumstances really come alive. Kamila shamsie s new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize, is a bold retelling of sophocles antigone. This study guide refers to the 2017 riverhead books. Teri pengilleythe guardian w hen kamila shamsie began her novel home fire in 2015, sadiq khan had yet. Fittingly perhaps, as shamsie draws on sophocles antigone, the. Home fire quotes showing 129 of 29 for girls, becoming women was inevitability.
Kamila shamsie s story of the pasha and lone families in contemporary london, syria, pakistan and the us has more than a touch of romeo and juliet. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. The emotionally compelling plot is well served by her lucid storytelling, and she digs into complex issues with confidence. Home fire persuasively retold antigone as the story of a teenage londoner groomed to join isil anthony cummins, telegraph, books of the year the fiery new novel by kamila shamsie, home fire, which takes us from the suburban streets of. She writes to explore the way the world functions, with a keen eye on that ancient greek idea of everything being in flux. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to. In home fire, lives touched by immigration, jihad and family. Kamila shamsie s powerful novel home fire, inspired by sophocless antigone, did just that martha kearney observer, best books of the year i very much enjoyed and admired home fire by kamila shamsie, a politically and psychologically acute novel modelled on sophocless antigone but reworked as the story of two british muslim sisters and. A good novelist blurs the imaginary line between us and them. Home fire is set in five locations, which echoes the original antigones five acts. Isma is moving to massachusetts to study sociology at amherst. Kamila shamsie s challenging and engrossing new novel, home fire, which was longlisted for the man booker prize, has been given a ghastly urgency by the attacks in london in june, and the focus in their aftermath on homegrown terrorists. Home fire puts a topical spin on ancient greek tragedy. Kamila shamsie has drawn inspiration from the ancient playwright sophocles and his drama antigone.
A former womens prize for fiction winner, shamsies haunting reworking of sophocles antigone is a commanding novel of passionate love, fanatical loyalty. An antigone for a time of terror the new york times. In kamila shamsies home fire, the shameful legacy of a dead jihadist father haunts his three children, although they never knew him. Theres a line of dialogue in the opening chapter of kamila shamsie s seventh novel that is as perceptive as any ive read this year. Kamila shamsies brilliant home fire is a greek tragedy. In 2009, kamila shamsie donated the short story the desert torso to oxfams oxtales project four collections of uk stories written by 38 authors. Written by kamila shamsie, a britishpakistani author, home fire strikes a relevant chord in the post 911 world where discrimination against muslim men and women in. They have lived in london all their lives, isma, the eldest. Ingenious builds to one of the most memorable final scenes ive read in a novel this century. Shamsies prose is, as always, elegant and evocative.
Like khuram butt, one of the london bridge assailants, parvaiz. Home fire 2017 is the seventh novel by kamila shamsie. In home fire, kamila shamsies seventh novel, the britishpakistani writer reimagines antigone for our age of terror. Home fire kamila shamsie, 2017 penguin publishing 288 pp. Home fire by kamila shamsie nook book ebook barnes. That is just as well the reader might be hard pressed to pick up on the parallels.
In a startlingly relevant update, kamila shamsie s home fire relocates sophocles antigone to presentday london and weaves a timely tale of two british muslim families with differing ideas about bigotry, belief and loyalty after years of devoting herself to raising her younger siblings, isma pasha is free to return to college and complete her. Home fire by kamila shamsie is one of those novels that adds knowledge and widens perspectives. Kamila shamsis home fire is an immediately relevant novel set in contemporary britain, with characters that are as close to reality as you could imagine. The novel opens on isma pasha, a 28yearold muslim woman, britishborn but ethnically pakistani, as she is detained in heathrow airport. It sheds a little light on the complexities of being a british pakistani muslim. Home fire was shortlisted for the costa best novel award 2017. We sat down with kamila shamsie author of burnt shadows and a god in every stone to talk about her latest novel, home fire.
Kamila shamsies challenging and engrossing new novel, home fire, which was longlisted for the man booker prize, has been given a ghastly urgency by the attacks in. In home fire, lives touched by immigration, jihad and. Kamila shamsie s new novela bold retelling of sophocles antigonebegins with an airport interrogationa scene that sets the tone for this ingenious and lovestruck novel. It must be difficult to be muslim in the world these days, remarks eamonn, the son of the british home secretary to isma. Kamila shamsie is the rare writer who makes one forget there was ever such a thing as a line. Grief was what you owed the dead for the necessary crime of living on without them. Kamila shamsies new book beautifully written and paced updates the ancient story of antigone to tell an explosive story of two families. The suspenseful and heartbreaking story of an immigrant family driven. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. We hope itll be a great way to read new books and stay connected. It reimagines sophocless play antigone unfolding among british muslims. Home fire is shamsies seventh and most accomplished novel. Home fire was chosen at the book of the year by the guardian, the observer, the telegraph, mail on sunday, evening standard, new statesman, and the new york times.
Kamila shamsies new novel, longlisted for this years man booker prize. Her twin brother, parvaiz, has left london to work for the media arm of isis, after discovering that his absent father died en route to guantanamo. Talk about the relevance of home fire to todays world. Home fire persuasively retold antigone as the story of a teenage londoner groomed to join isil anthony cummins telegraph, books of the year the fiery new novel by kamila shamsie, home fire, which takes us from the suburban streets of wembley to. What do you see in the novel that illuminates andor resonates with current concerns. In the end we chose the book which we felt spoke for our times.
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