Safe Corridor

"A Haunting Tale of War, Survival, and a Boy Turning to Chalk – Safe Corridor, a Prize-Winning Translation of Resilience and Identity."

A gripping and darkly poetic novel, Safe Corridor follows 13-year-old Kamiran as he flees war-torn Afrin, only to experience a surreal transformation—his body turning into chalk. Blending sharp wit with deep sorrow, this prize-winning translation explores trauma, displacement, and the fragile resilience of a child caught in the chaos of war.

Safe Corridor by Jan Dost, translated by Marilyn Booth—translator of the 2019 International Booker Prize-winning Celestial Bodies—is a darkly humorous and powerful novel that captures war through Kamiran, a 13-year-old Kurdish boy. Fleeing Afrin with his family, Kamiran undergoes a surreal transformation—his body turning to chalk, a haunting symbol of identity erased by conflict. Blending sharp wit with deep sorrow, the novel explores trauma, displacement, and resilience.