Two outstanding debuts focus our attention on current flashpoints: In "Dog, Wolf, Jackal", the eleven year old Saam and his younger brother Nima flee the country for Germany with their father following the execution of their mother amidst the tumult of the Iranian Revolution. Feeling completely alienated in the world of Neukölln and its Arab-dominated street gangs, the father, caught between playing backgammon and shame, scrapes a living as a taxi driver, whilst Saam tries to fill the role of head of family. In "Scheherazade’s Heirs" the author paints an uncompromising picture of Afghan society before the Taliban seized power once again in August 2021. When Ahmad’s beloved daughter Masomah runs away with a young man from a neighbouring village, his whole world is turned on its head.