An Odyssey in Blue: An Autobiographical Novel (Paperback or Softback)

In post-colonial Morocco, among the fragile embers of a newly fledged nation, one shepherd boy from the mountains managed to obtain the unthinkable – an education. Now Europe, along with the opportunity to continue his path of learning, beckons Jusef bewitchingly from across the water.So begins a colourful journey of intertwining possibilities and unforgettable encounters as Jusef forges his path in a land far removed from the cultures and traditions of his past. But in a continent engrossed in a new, cultural awakening, Jusef finds himself embarking on an awakening of his own: a transformational quest of perseverance, courage and identity that challenges everything he once knew, for expanses and horizons as yet unspoken.Jusef’s story is a testament to the extraordinary path the journey of life can take when one dares to hope, showing above all, that some dreams are worth chasing – even if doing so does prove to be An Odyssey in Blue.

JOSEPH LABAKI was born in Morocco and emigrated to Europe at a young age to achieve an education. He has authored three books, Inconscient et Sexualite, an academic work, A Riffian's Tune and An Odyssey in Blue, both autobiographical novels. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife and two daughters.

Over ten years of experience in book cover design, working in London for HarperCollins Publishers and Simon and Schuster Ltd. He now lives and works in Edinburgh designing mainly book covers, but also sales and marketing material and page layouts for book interiors. Clients he has worked for include: Atlantic, Canongate, Chambers, Constable & Robinson, HarperCollins, Headline, Little Brown, Old Street, Orion, Simon & Schuster and Transworld.

Stephen Raw (born 1952, London) has lived in Manchester for the last 40-plus years. He has been a textual artist and designer since his return to Britain after two years teaching at the National Arts School in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Stephen's work is varied, from paintings in exhibitions, to cover designs and his commercial lettering for a variety of clients, including leading publishers, architects and design groups throughout Europe. 'Fundamental to all my artwork, ' Stephen says, 'is a love of language and how that language is given a visual dimension through signs we simply call letters: never-failing sources of inspiration. Letters are images in themselves and, for me, that's more than enough to be getting on with.' Collaborations with the Poet Laureate, Dame Carol Ann Duffy, have lead to all sorts of commissions during her tenure. He no longer sits on The Royal Mint Design Advisory Committee ('Nolaned') but instead is now able to submitt designs when invited. His first circulating coin is for the Centenary of the Armitice and he has another coin (under wraps) coming out in 2019. For ten years he has been involved with the charity 'Manchester Aid to Kosovo' and was their Chairman for three years. http: //makonline.org/ He has exhibited widely: Germany, Ireland, the United States and Italy. One of his paintings, words by Nelson Mandela, is in the renowned collection of the Stiftung Archiv der Akademie der Künste, Berlin. All his Carcanet Press book jacket and cover artwork, part of the Carcanet archive, is now kept by the John Rylands Research Institute, University of Manchester. Stephen was a visiting lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art for 15 years and, until recently, was a part-time tutor on the MA Design Course, Manchester Metropolitan University. He still occasionally lectures at both institutions. Since 2017, Stephen has been the Artist-in-Residence at Manchester Cathedral.