If you happened to pass through Cape Evil in the early 70’s, you might have noticed that there was a little boy sitting on the roof of Sam’s grocery store, singing songs to everyone who passed by or went shopping. Where is this boy now? Has he gone to Cairo? All we know is that the shop has long since been converted into a Kurdish kebab restaurant and very few people, young or old, sing in public these days.
Al-Qahira Expres is a novel about a boy who decides to walk to Egypt. The boy’s world consists of a river, a railroad and the songs he sings on the rooftops. When he learns new songs, he realises that the world is expanding from his home in Cape Evil to distant lands and a world without borders. In this new world, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the mysteries around you, yet it’s always a good time to sing.
القاهرة إكسبريس هي رواية عن صبي يقرر المشي إلى مصر. يتكون عالم الصبي من نهر وسكة حديد والأغاني التي يغنيها على أسطح المنازل. عندما يتعلم أغاني جديدة، يدرك أن العالم يتوسع من منزله في “كيب إيفل” إلى أراض بعيدة وعالم بلا حدود. في هذا العالم الجديد، قد يكون من الصعب أحيانا فهم الألغاز من حولك، ومع ذلك فهو دائما وقت مناسب للغناء
Jarmo Pikkujamsa: Al-Qahira Expres. Takkusaan Books, 2023.
ISBN 979-10-415-2060-2
under the baobab tree 
Leave a comment