SHAMAL DAYS: A NOVEL Paperback

Sabin Iqbal's "Shamal Days: A Novel" delves into the solitary existence of Abbas, a middle-aged Indian bachelor working as an editor at a newspaper in an imagined country within the Arabian Gulf in the 1990s. Beset by loneliness and the weight of past regrets, Abbas navigates a life shaped by missed opportunities and the relentless, dry shamal winds. Against the backdrop of escalating political unrest in West Asia, the novel offers a whimsical and ironic exploration of the aspirations and resentments of expatriate life, as well as the unique dynamics of a newsroom populated by individuals from diverse backgrounds united by shared professional mishaps in a country largely built and run by an expatriate workforce. Through Abbas's journey, the book poignantly examines themes of identity, belonging, and the enduring human search for connection amidst isolation.