A series bringing attention to contemporary short fiction from the Arab World. In the first of three stories - Farida's Eyes by Sudanese author Leila Aboulela - a bright and eager student is struggling in class, but helping her is not a priority for her father.

Leila Aboulela won the first Caine Prize for African Writing. She is the author of four novels, a collection of short stories and several radio plays. Her novels include The Translator, a New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year. Minaret and Lyrics Alley were both long listed for the Orange Prize. Leila's book of short stories, Coloured Lights, was short-listed for the MacMillan Silver PEN award. Her work has been translated into 14 languages. She grew up in Khartoum and now lives in Aberdeen. Farida's Eyes was originally commissioned by Banipal, the Arab literary magazine.

Reader: Amrita Acharia
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4. Show less