The Traitor's Niche

Author: Kadare, Ismail, Hodgson, John

Ottoman Empire

Published on 18 January 2018 by Vintage Publishing (Vintage Classics).

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2017 MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZEAt the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the main square of Constantinople, a niche is carved into ancient stone. Here, the sultan displays the severed heads of his adversaries. Tundj Hata, the imperial courier, is charged with transporting heads to the capital - a task he relishes and performs with fervour. But as he travels through obscure and impoverished territories, he makes money from illicit side-shows, offering villagers the spectacle of death. The head of the rebellious Albanian governor would fetch a very high price. A surreal tale of rebellion and tyranny from the master of European literature.