A Mouth Full of Salt (Saqi Books)
The Nile brought them life, but the Nile was not their friend.
A small farming village in North Sudan wakes up one morning to the news that a little boy has drowned. Soon after, the animals die of a mysterious illness and the date gardens catch fire and burn to the ground. The villagers whisper of a sorceress who dwells at the foot of the mountains. It is the dry season. The men have places to go, the women have work to do, the children play at the place where the river runs over its own banks. Sixteen-year-old Fatima yearns to leave the village for Khartoum.
In Khartoum, a single mother makes her way in a world that wants to keep girls and women back. As civil war swells, the political intrudes into the personal and her position in the capital becomes untenable. She must return to the village.
A Mouth Full of Salt uncovers a country on the brink of seismic change as its women decide for themselves which traditions are fit for purpose – and which prophecies it’s time to rewrite.
‘This beautiful novel tells the story of all of Sudan – its rituals, joys and sorrows, full and dry nights, stability and displacements.’
Amir Tag Elsir, author of The Grub Hunter
‘A riveting novel which brings alive the vibrations of village life … the story is so beautifully and grippingly told that once started, it is difficult to put down.’
Francis Mading Deng, author of Cry of the Owl
‘A vivid, beautifully written and transportive read. Gaafar’s powerful female characters show how women dealt the weakest hands claim small victories through tenacity and strength of spirit. I loved it.’
Rosalind Russell, author of The End of Where We Begin
RELATIONS: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices (HarperVia)
In a post-Black Panther world, it is an urgent and welcome embrace of the diversity of Blackness. A refreshing collection of genre-spanning literature, it offers a vibrant meditation on being—inviting connection across real and imagined borders, and celebration of the most profound relations.
My short story “Finding Descartes” is featured in this book as the first story in a series attempting to document the 2018 Sudanese Revolution and the ordinary people behind this extraordinary movement.
I Know Two Sudans: An anthology of creative writing from the Sudans (Gipping Press Ltd.)
“I Know Two Sudans is an anthology of beautifully written short stories, poems and articles about sudan and South Sudan by authors from around the world. These writings reflect a vast land rich in heritage, culture, languages and ethnic groups without focusing on politics and religion.”
My short story Light of The Desert was published in the book and featured as an Honourable Mention by award-winning novelist Leila Aboulela.
Films
IMAN: When faith is at a crossroads (UNDP)
As a researcher, writer and filmmaker I was a part of the team tasked with research and writing of the film IMAN: When faith is at a crossroads. The film was commissioned by the UNDP as part of efforts to address extremism in the youth and to promote dialogue at the local, regional and international levels.
The team was led by director Mia Bittar, with filmmaker and journalist Alsanosi Adam, director of Sudan Story Lab, and writer and researcher Ahmed Nashadir.
The Coral City
A documentary film produced by Sudan Architecture Forum, filmed by Muzamil Nizameldin and edited and directed by myself. This first part is an interview with Professor Abdelrahim Salim, architect, advocate and expert on the unique history and architecture of the island Suakin, and author of the book.
Light of The Sahara
My first documentary (through which I taught myself filmmaking) about my late grandfather Mahgoub Gaafar Mustafa. Based mainly on interviews since he passed away 30 years before this film was even thought of, we learn about his life and contributions in and to his hometown Karima, where he led the building of schools, dormitories, water infrastructure, mosques, and the area’s agricultural scheme.