Books from Italy

Set in Sicily in 1153, A Sultan in Palermo explores a fascinating period when Norman rulers governed an island deeply shaped by Arab and Muslim culture. Palermo is a flourishing centre of learning, where Arabic language and intellectual traditions remain influential despite the political dominance of Christian rulers. At the heart of the novel is Muhammad al-Idrisi, a celebrated Muslim cartographer and scholar, who serves King Roger II of Sicily, known to his Muslim subjects as Sultan Rujari. As Idrisi navigates his friendship with the ageing ruler, he becomes increasingly torn between loyalty to the royal court and solidarity with fellow Muslims who are resisting Norman rule or preparing to leave the island. Surrounded by political intrigue, religious tensions, and personal desires, he must confront the moral compromises of life under an increasingly unstable regime. Blending historical figures with imaginative storytelling, Tariq Ali explores cultural coexistence, the struggle for power, and the fragile relationship between political authority and personal conscience. The novel is the fourth book in Ali’s Islam Quintet.