Hassan Blasim reads from new collection, The Iraqi Christ, at IABF

One for fans of international literature, ground breaking local publisher and nurturer of new talent, Comma Press hosts the Manchester launch of Hassan Blasim’s highly anticipated second short story collection. From desert rats to dark forests, Blasim’s stories blend the surreal with the all-too-real. Taking his cues from Kafka, his prose shines a dazzling light into the dark absurdities of Iraq’s recent past and the torments of its countless refugees. With accolades that include the English PEN Writers in Translation Award in both 2009 and 2011 as well as a long-listing for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2010, he was recently described by The Guardian as  ‘perhaps the greatest writer of Arabic fiction alive’. This is his second collection and signed copies will be available to buy.

International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Engine House, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, M1 5BY. Tel: 0161 235 0776 7pm, FREE.  www.commapress.co.uk

Image: Tomas Whitehouse