The Traitor’s Niche

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2017 MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

＂The book’s political intentions are shrewd and unmistakable . . . This unforgettable novel adds to [Kadare’s] lifelong work of cultural reclamation. The past is uncannily present in his books—a phantom that walks among the living, or a severed head that seems to lock you in its gaze.＂ —The Wall Street Journal

At 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. People flock to see the latest head and gossip about the state of the empire: the province of Albania is demanding independence again, and the niche awaits a new trophy.

Tundj Hata, the imperial courier, is charged with transporting heads to the capital—a task he relishes and performs with fervor. 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 indeed.

The Traitor’s Niche is a surreal tale of tyranny and rebellion, in a land where armies carry scarecrows, state officials ban entire languages, and the act of forgetting is more complicated than remembering.