The Kamanga Kings, a Khartoum jazz band of yesteryear, is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime when a surprise letter arrives inviting them to perform in Washington, D.C. The only problem is . . . the band no longer exists.

Rushdy, a disaffected secondary school teacher and the son of an original Kamanga King, sets out to revive the band. All too soon an unlikely group are on their way, knowing the eyes of their country are on them. As they move 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.

"Engaging tale of an old Khartoum jazz band who reform to play a gig in America . . . Mahjoub weaves in interesting political and ethnic themes, amid some lovely writing about friendship and music" - * Observer *

"A rip-roaring adventure from Khartoum to Harlem and an ode to jazz, creativity and freedom of expression . . . a heartfelt and touching book" - * Bad Form *

"Humorous" - * Cosmopolitan *

"(A) powerful treatise on music and memory" - * Open Country Magazine, Books of 2021 *

"Heartwarming" - * Africa Report, Must-Read Literary Books of 2021 *

"The Fugitives offers readers a remarkable and entertaining story of a band of Sudanese musicians travelling far from home . . . Mahjoub's skill positions the Kings' playing as a practice that, as well as being magical, is a bridge, a form of profound resistance: "this isn't an orchestra; this is an army"" - * Africa in Words *

"Praise for Jamal Mahjoub: Mahjoub writes with sensitivity and intelligence, and with a deft feel for the complexity of his material" - * Wasafiri *

"Praise for A Line in the River: A wonderfully subtle exploration of place, identity and memory" - * Guardian *