The Burning Mirror by Suhayl Saadi

The Burning Mirror

Suhayl Saadi

This story leaves plenty of space for the reader to interpret what is happening, so it is a challenging read. The English is suffused with Glasgae Scots, Gaelic and Urdu, which slows down the read but gives a good flavour of the multicultural themes. Essentially, a series of short stories which draw on a variety of myths and cultures as a way of looking at the self. A treat for those who enjoy interpreting poetic language and working out what the author is trying to say.

Extract
... dollin yerself up. Dark-blue lipstick an pale make-up, jis so you'd look a wee bit mair Mediterranean. Workin yer body, tryin tae wipe out the curves and tae appear, as straight an white as possible. Who're you trying tae fool? That man knew what ye were. It shines through, especially when they were drunk, or after they'd had sex. It dulled the senses but sharpened the wits. They could see through the masks. Ye couldnae hide in Govan.
Parallels
  • Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam
  • Whoever You Choose to Love by Colette Paul