Eight Months on Ghazzah Street
Hilary Mantel
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Fourth Estate
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
Paperback edition published by Harper Perennial 2004
First published in Great Britain by Viking 1988
Copyright © Hilary Mantel 1988
The right of Hilary Mantel to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
PS section copyright © Fanny Blake 2004
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780007172917
Ebook Edition © MAY 2010 ISBN: 9780007354955
Version: 2017-07-26
For Vic and Jeanie Camp
Contents
Excerpt from Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Saudi Arabia employs the Hijra calendar, which starts from the year AD 622, when Muhammed left Mecca for Medina. It is a lunar calendar, and the Hijra year is eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year. The months (with many variations in transliteration) are as follows: Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-awal, Rabi al-thani, Jamadi al-awal, Jamadi al-thani, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadhan, Shawal, Dhu-al-qudah, Dhu-al-hijjah. By a recent Royal Decree, a 365-day year has been instituted for fiscal purposes, and 22 December 1986 became 1 Capricorn. The recalculations involved make the fiscal year some forty years behind the Hijra year. So, not the least surprising aspect of life in the Kingdom is that time can appear to run backwards.
CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM
FROM: Director, Turadup, William and Schaper, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
TO: All expatriate staff
DATED: 15 Shawal/3 July 1985
I need not remind anyone of this week’s tragic events involving Turadup employees. In order to safeguard the company’s position in these very difficult times, I must request all staff and families about to depart on leave to behave as follows:
A. Refrain from talking to the press – whatever your holiday destination.
B: Refrain from public speculation about the recent deaths – remember that the matter is still under investigation by the Saudi police and Her Majesty’s representatives.
c. Exercise