Mohammed Bin Khulayf

And the other person will be like, yeah, that sounds quite socialist.

And I'll be like, it's the animal farms.

That's for kids.

Why would you take that away from me?

I've always wanted to read Dostoevsky, and I could not find any of his works, so I assumed they were banned.

On the internet, there's always mention of a very specific translation.

His name is Sami al-Dhruby, and he is a very popular Syrian translator.

He is the authority of Russian literature.

And if you wanted to read just USQ, you want to read his books.

And they were the ones that were the most wanted in my list.

And every year at the book fair, I would ask for them.

One year, I went on a Wednesday morning, the men's only day, and I walked in early in the morning before the religious police could come in, and I went to the publisher, and I shouted him up.

He was getting set up, drinking his cardamom tea, and I start to get to know him, and I start complaining about censorship and all the politics and whatnot, and I told him how I've always wanted Dusty Vilsky's books, and he's like, okay, I got you.

I have them.

I was like, you have Dostoevsky's?

I've always wanted them.

How much?

And he's like, I have all of his work, 18 volume, the complete work, Dostoevsky's, translated.

You have to meet me tomorrow morning in the parking lot.

I will come at my white van, knock on the door at 9.30, bring $500 cash.