A gripping tale of sexuality and persecution in contemporary Egypt

Hani was out for an evening stroll near Cairo's Tahrir Square when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. An informant had identified him, and he was thrown into the back of a police truck. There began a seven-month nightmare as he was swept up, along with fifty other men, in the infamous Queen Boat affair that targeted Egypt’s gay community. Finally free, but traumatized into speechlessness, Hani writes down the events of his life—his first sexual desires, his relationship with his mother, his marriage of convenience, and his passion for Abdel Aziz, the only man he ever truly loved. In the Spider’s Room is a sensitive and courageous account of life as a gay man in Egypt.

"One of the most brilliant Egyptian authors today … This beautifully written and poetic book moved me to tears; it is an ode to freedom and a real act of bravery." - Leila Slimani, Winner of the British book awards fiction debut award for Lullaby, Best Books of 2019, The Guardian