Salmon Drowning

Waha Al-Raheb

"Who tells us this story? And does it really matter if the narrator is Amal or Sarab? Whoever is narrating, both tell from the abyss. And the abyss has different forms in the novel 'Salmon Drowning'; the bottom is its common feature, appearing as a sole dimension of the power of familial and political oppression. Within the family, a premature revolution begins against the father's grip, whose familial rule is a miniature model of the situation in Syria. In this novel, Syrian actress and writer Waha Al-Raheb places her characters before various questions and dilemmas, most notably the question of identity, which constantly tests their humanity as they are on the verge of transforming into monsters... or they escape their inevitable choices by leaping into the unknown. Parallel to the personal events, the narrative touches upon global and Arab events, including the burning of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the birth of the Syrian Revolution with all its dreams of freedom and subsequent disappointments, leading to the confrontation of bodies with their fates in the sea during their inevitable migrations. A Syrian writer, director, and actress with a degree in Fine Arts from Damascus University and a postgraduate diploma in Cinema from Paris VIII University. She has won numerous awards in the cinematic and dramatic fields, where she has acted, directed, and written screenplays for films and series, and participated in the juries of several festivals. She has a book titled 'The Image of Women in Syrian Cinema' (2000) and a novel titled 'Memories of an Unlucky Soul' (2017). This is her third novel published by Dar Nofal after 'Madness Unleashed' (2019) and 'Barrier for a Shroud' (2020).
"A beautiful and truthful novel, possessing all the elements of narrative storytelling. Waha Al-Raheb's transparency and artistic legacy give her sincerity in narration and the ability to capture characters that pass us by daily without our noticing them." Syrian novelist Khairi Al-Dhahabi – regarding 'Barrier for a Shroud'"