u/imalyrics

1 - لا سكاكين في مطابخ هذه المدينة - Arabic novel

This novel is available in bookstores in morocco, and don’t worry about the cover since it may differ, unless you specifically request a particular edition from the bookstore when ordering.

The novel is not about homosexuality, but one of the characters, the uncle, is gay. Through him, the story reveals the suffering of gays in Syria, including in prisons, as well as feelings of loneliness and alienation within one’s own country.

It is a deeply political novel about Syria, oppression, and Assad the father, written in a refined and eloquent Arabic style. It is also available in English.

2 - في غرفة العنكبوت - Arabic novel

This novel is based on real events, about the persecution and arrest of gay men in Egypt. The story explores homosexual orientation within a conservative society like Egypt, where everyone seems to be looking for a way to judge and condemn you.

3 - L'armée du salut (Moroccan novel)

This novel is available everywhere in Morocco with that bold cover picture of two gays 🫂. I’m not sure whether it’s autobiographical, but the novel is powerful and feels especially impactful given that the author is Moroccan. His work often explores the lives of gay Moroccans, and this one stands out as his best. It delves into the experiences, trauma, and daily realities of a Moroccan gay man, while also touching on themes of migration and the search for personal freedom.

4 - Ce que je sais de toi (French novel)

Another novel set in Egypt tells the story of a young gay doctor, beneath his professional success and family expectations lies a concealed relationship with another man. The pressures of society and tradition gradually push him into silence and self-repression.

What makes this novel particularly striking is its deep psychological exploration of a repressed gay man and the emotional conflict between identity, desire, and social obligation.

5 - Les racines secondaires (French novel)

This story is about Philippe, who, as his dying father repeatedly calls him "Maurice" (by mistake) discovers a buried family secret: he had an uncle, gay like him, who was rejected and erased from the family memory and deliberately hidden. The novel explores why this erasure happened.

6 - Guapa (English novel)

It's the story of a young gay man living in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, over the course of one intense day in his life. After being caught by his grandmother sleeping with his boyfriend.

Am I the only one who feels like printed books are insanely expensive in our country?

This month I bought 6 books (3 French novels and 3 Arabic ones) for around 710 MAD. I also went to the Rabat International Book Fair, and honestly the prices were pretty much the same as in regular bookstores, no real discounts.

What’s even crazier is that none of these novels were like a 2026 releases, they’re all older publications. Meanwhile, a single recently published novel can easily go for more than 200 MAD.

It’s frustrating, especially when you know you can find most of these books online for free, yet you prefer owning the printed version.