No God But Us: Bobuq Sayed & Mohamed Tonsy

Join us for the launch of Bobuq Sayed's No God But Us - a seductive, provocative debut about two gay Afghan men looking for their place. We're so pleased to be bringing you an event with Bobuq Sayed, author of the much anticipated No God but Us - all the way from Australia! Bobuq will be joined by bookshop favourite and fellow Hajar author Mohamed Tonsy for a scintillating conversation about queer identity, home, migration and state repression. Join us! In this seductive, provocative debut, two gay Afghan men—cast out of their respective countries of birth by circumstances beyond their control—collide in Istanbul, a city that will test their willingness to sacrifice everything for the ones they love. When Delbar—a hapless twenty-something with dreams of becoming a drag queen—is spectacularly outed, he flees the insular immigrant-dense suburbs of Washington, DC to seek refuge with his sympathetic aunt in Istanbul. There, he discovers a vibrant community of dissidents, sex workers, activists, poets, and heretics. Among them are Leif and his boyfriend, Mansur, with whom Delbar quickly develops a blazing fascination. But Mansur also nurses a wounded heart, having left his own family, and his first love, behind in Iran. This time, Mansur’s learned not to dream bigger than his own survival. He’ll keep a low profile, work hard to send money back, and remain faithful to Leif—at least until his refugee status is granted. When riot police descend on attendees of the annual Istanbul Pride march, Mansur and Delbar are thrust into dangerous proximity. With the country surging into authoritarianism, each person must ask what constitutes a life well-lived, and how high is the price of freedom? Told through the alternating viewpoints of Delbar and Mansur, Bobuq Sayed’s debut is a story of borders and boundaries transgressed, and a deeply engrossing exploration of what it means to make a home at the margins of society. At once an immigrant family saga, a thwarted love story, and a searing portrait of politics made intimately personal, No God but Us is an ambitious introduction to a bold new voice. The author Bobuq Sayed is an Afghan cultural worker whose writing explores themes of migration, Islam and queer sexuality. They are the author of A Brief History of Australian Terror, a chapbook of essays, and the co-editor of Nothing to Hide: Voices from Trans and Gender Diverse Australia. The chair Mohamed Tonsy is a queer Egyptian writer and ceramicist. Formerly an architect and a triathlete representing the Egyptian Triathlon Federation, he completed a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh. His writing has appeared in Mizna and Epoch Press and was shortlisted for MFest’s 2021 Short Story Competition.