Alligator and Other Stories (Paperback)

Shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction 2021

Shortlisted for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2021

'This wonderful collection that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt caught between cultures, places . . . ' - Sharlene Teo

In Alligator and Other Stories, Dima Alzayat captures luminously how it feels to be 'other': as a Syrian, as an Arab, as an immigrant, as a woman. Each story of the nine stories is a snapshot of those moments when unusual circumstances suddenly distinguish us from our neighbours, when our difference is thrown into relief.

Here are 'dangerous' women transgressing, missing children in 1970s New York, a family who were once Syrian but have now lost their name, and a young woman about to discover the hollowness of the American dream. At its centre lies 'Alligator': a remarkable compilation of real and invented sources, which rescues from history the story of a Syrian American couple who were murdered at the hands of the state.

Alzayat explores experiences that are startling and real, delivering an emotional punch that lingers long after reading.