Musician in the Clouds

"Talented Iraqi cello player Nabil dreams of changing the world with his music. He imagines a world where music and art govern everyday life. As he becomes increasingly alienated from Iraqi society, he begins to wonder if Iraq will ever meet his ideals. After being attacked in his hometown by neighborhood extremists and having his cello destroyed, Nabil decides to emigrate to Europe and pays to be smuggled to Belgium, where he thinks he can fit into society better. Once in Belgium, he still feels alienated by his lofty ideas about harmony, music, and how easy it would be to integrate into society. Through Ali Bader's subtle critiques of both Iraqi and European societies, we follow Nabil as he tries to understand himself as an artist and his place in the world. Originally published in Arabic in 2016 during the peak of migration from the Middle East to Europe, Musician in the Clouds explores global migration in a postcolonial world, extremism, and what it means to belong somewhere. This edition includes the author's updated novel, published in 2023, and an original interview between the author and translator about the book"--