Rushdy is a disaffected secondary school teacher and the son of an original Kamanga King. Determined to see a life beyond his own home, he sets out to revive the band. Aided by his unreliable best friend, all too soon an unlikely group are on their way, knowing the eyes of their country are on them.

As the group moves from the familiarity of Khartoum to the chaos of Donald Trump’s America, Jamal Mahjoub weaves a gently humorous and ultimately universal tale of music, belonging and love.

‘A wonderfully subtle exploration of place, identity and memory’ – PD Smith, Guardian

‘A highly readable and authoritative celebration of a little-understood country and its capital city’ – Geographical

‘A travelogue and memoir to rank alongside anything by Chatwin or Thubron’ – Jim Crace

‘A most absorbing and rewarding book’ – Michael Palin
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A moving portrait, part history, part memoir, of Sudan – once the largest, most diverse country in Africa – and its self-destruction

In 1956, Sudan gained independence from Britain. On the brink of a promising future, it instead descended into civil war and conflict. When the 1989 coup brought a hard-line Islamist regime to power, Jamal Mahjoub’s family were among those who fled. Almost twenty years later, he returned.

Rediscovering the city in which his formative years were spent, Mahjoub encounters people and places he left behind. The capital contains the key to understanding Sudan’s divided, contradictory nature and while exploring Khartoum’s present – its changing identity and shifting moods; its wealthy elite and neglected poor – Mahjoub also delves into the country’s troubled history. His search for answers evolves into a thoughtful meditation on the meaning of identity, both personal and national.

A Line in the River combines lyrical and evocative memoir with a nuanced exploration of a country’s complex history, politics and religion. The result is both captivating and revelatory.