Suleima's Ring

Shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Suleima’s Ring isn’t just a novel; it’s an exploration of life’s intricate dance between love and contradiction, roots and aspirations, rebellion and compliance.

Unfolding across Aleppo and Toledo, it tells the interwoven stories of half Spanish, half Jewish photographer Lucas and Syrian protagonist Salma.

Switching between multiple narrators, it explores the relationships between Salma and Shams al-Din—an Italian musician living in Aleppo with whom she is infatuated—along with Lucas, Lucas’ girlfriend Lola, and his son.

Bali skillfully navigates the complexities of relationships, traditions, and the ever-elusive concept of truth. The novel, born in the historic city of Toledo, Spain, carries the fragrance of Aleppo, inviting readers to wander through its ancient alleys and rest on the banks of the Tagus River.

The titular ring, at times held by various characters, alludes to the legendary ring of Solomon with its fabled magical powers. Although Salma, Lucas, and Shams al-Din are distinct personalities from contrasting backgrounds, they all share one thing: their love for Aleppo, the enthralling and afflicted city buried under the rubble of dreams and lost opportunities.

Suleima’s Ring navigates Salma’s struggle between love and duty, past affluence, and a present marked by loss and conflict. The novel poses questions about Salma’s heart’s compass and her ultimate decision. Will she succumb to the sands of the past, or will she embrace the West’s taut bowstring? Will Suleima’s magic ring be enough to free the lost souls of Aleppo? Or will it take another Solomon to come to life and reassert his authority over the warring creatures who are left, if he can only find his lost ring?

Suleima’s Ring draws the reader into an atmosphere permeated by Sufism, perfume, dreams, and passionate love, against the backdrop of the Syrian war.

Rima Bali is an acclaimed Syrian writer, born in Aleppo in 1969. She studied at Aleppo University and managed an historic hotel in old Aleppo until the outbreak of the war in the city. She left Syria in 2015 and now resides in Madrid, Spain. Her published works include four novels: Milagro, meaning “miracle” in Spanish (2016), The Blue Sunflower (2018), Suleima’s Ring (2022); and Flute in a Western Orchestra (2023). Suleima’s Ring, her first novel to be translated into English, was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Timothy Gregory is an Arabic to English translator from Seattle, Washington. For more than twenty-five years, he has worked as a translator in both the public and the private sectors. His passion as a reader of novels of all kinds led him to pursue the shift to translating literature, leading to an MA in translation from the University of Illinois in 2018. His first three translated books are the Warriors and Warlocks trilogy by Dr. Monther Alkabbani.