Sistah Scifi and Fabulize selects Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed as their July reading selection for their graphic novel book club. Each month, Sistah Scifi–the leading bookstore specializing in BIPOC science fiction and fantasy titles– selects a graphic novel to read together as a community.

Whether you’re new to books in translation and comics or a seasoned book dragon that is hungry for something beyond the Western canon, Shubeik Lubeik is the kind of graphic novel you won’t forget. Join us as we journey through a world that blends bureaucracy and magic, mental health, faith, grief and desire, all set against the vivid, complex backdrop of Cairo, Egypt.

Mohamed’s Shubeik Lubeik showcases three interconnected lives transformed by a single wish, each one grappling with what it truly means to want something in a world that doesn’t make wanting easy. Bookworms looking to dive into a visual world that is as politically sharp as it is emotionally resonant are in for a real treat. Check out the synopsis below from Pantheon Books and join our graphic novel book club today.

Fantastical Egyptian futurisms and granted wishes await readers

Three wishes that are sold at an unassuming kiosk in Cairo link Aziza, Nour, and Shokry, changing their perspectives as well as their lives. Aziza learned early that life can be hard, but when she loses her husband and manages to procure a wish, she finds herself fighting bureaucracy and inequality for the right to have—and make—that wish. Nour is a privileged college student who secretly struggles with depression and must decide whether or not to use their wish to try to “fix” this depression, and then figure out how to do it. And, finally, Shokry must grapple with his religious convictions as he decides how to help a friend who doesn’t want to use their wish. Deena Mohamed brings to life a cast of characters whose struggles and triumphs are heartbreaking, inspiring, and deeply resonant.

Although their stories are fantastical—featuring talking donkeys, dragons, and cars that can magically avoid traffic—each of these people grapples with the very real challenge of trying to make their most deeply held desires come true.

Join now for free!

To participate in this event, make sure you register here. Even if you haven’t read the graphic novel, you are still welcome to join and enjoy the vibe!