The Negotiator: A Woman at the Heart of the UN
Morocco

The Negotiator: A Woman at the Heart of the UN

by Ghita El Khyari

Society & Class Fiction 2026

Summary

Alya, a 45-year-old United Nations diplomat, is finally given the assignment she has spent years working towards: leading peace negotiations on Syria from Geneva. Experienced, determined, and deeply committed to diplomacy, she knows that success depends on patience, careful preparation, and the ability to find common ground between opposing sides. But when she meets Alexei, her Russian counterpart, professional collaboration becomes entangled with personal feelings. Then Russia invades Ukraine, transforming the geopolitical landscape and threatening everything Alya has built, both professionally and privately. As diplomatic tensions intensify, she must confront the contradictions between her ideals and the political realities of the institution she serves. Drawing on the author’s experience inside the United Nations, this novel explores the hidden complexities of international diplomacy, the compromises required to pursue peace, and the personal sacrifices women make while navigating positions of power. It is also an intimate portrait of a woman reconsidering her identity and ambitions at midlife, asking what remains of the self when professional responsibilities and personal desires collide.

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Country
Morocco
Africa
About the author
Ghita El Khyari
Ghita El Khyari

Ghita El Khyari is a Moroccan international affairs professional, writer, and former United Nations official whose work explores diplomacy, gender, and the human realities behind international institutions. She spent approximately 15 years working within the UN system, gaining firsthand experience of multilateral negotiations and the complex relationships between political ideals and institutional realities. During her UN career, El Khyari held positions connected to UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UNESCO. Her work exposed her to the challenges of international cooperation, the negotiations surrounding global issues, and the often-invisible labour involved in diplomatic decision-making. These experiences inform her fiction, particularly her interest in the tension between professional responsibilities and private life. Her novel The Negotiator: A Woman at the Heart of the UN follows a female diplomat navigating peace negotiations, geopolitical conflict, and personal uncertainty. Through Alya’s story, El Khyari offers readers an insider-inspired perspective on the human dimensions of diplomacy and the challenges women face in leadership. Her writing draws attention to the people behind international institutions, exploring how personal relationships, political pressures, and individual convictions shape the pursuit of peace.

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Details
Published
2026
Author
Ghita El Khyari