A Sky-Colored Mask, Part Three

The Butterflies of Holy Mary

Author: Basim Khandaqji

In the final part of the Mirrors Trilogy, Basim Khandaqji focuses on the character of Maryam Fatim, who taught "Ohr" the Arabic language. The relationship between them evolved into an explosion of "Ohr"'s confrontation with himself. With every new Arabic word "Ohr" learns, he comes closer to his image in the mirror. It is a harsh image, as its features were shaped by the historical, cultural, and economic marginalization of the other (the Palestinian).
However, the narrative resists all this marginalization and gives Maryam a voice that confronts "Ohr"'s narrative. Can confrontation through writing restore balance to the dialectic of the relationship between the victor and the vanquished?
Basim Khandaqji is a Palestinian writer. His novel "A Sky-Colored Mask" (the first part of the Mirrors Trilogy) won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (Booker) in 2024.
Thanks to the resilience and sacrifices of the people of Gaza, Basim Khandaqji was released in October 2025, after twenty years of captivity in Israeli prisons. His works published by Dar Al-Adab include: "A Sky-Colored Mask," "The Holocaust Custodian," and "Badr Al-Din's Eclipse."