About The Book

Nineth century Baghdad. Al-Amin, son of the great Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid, now reigns over the powerful and most prosperous empire in the history of Islam.

Under the rule of his father, the Islamic Golden Age was at its zenith - a time of unprecedented scientific, religious and artistic prosperity. But the burden of maintaining his father’s vast empire weighs heavy upon the reckless al-Amin.

His stately and learned half-brother, al-Ma'mun, has suffered witnessing the degradation of the House of Abbas at the hands of the careless new caliph.

What was once an intimate, fraternal bond may soon untether, jeopardising the legacy of Harun al-Rashid and threatening to tear a once glorious empire apart from the inside out.

Written in pentameter, House of Abbas is an ambitious verse play that unapologetically conjures the spectre of a true Shakespearean tragedy.

About The Author

Ali Telmesani is a poet, playwright, songwriter and film-maker. Ali formally began studying creative writing during his Undergraduate studies in English Literature at the University of Connecticut.

Having developed a keen interest in Islamic philosophy, Sufi metaphysics and literature, Ali completed an MA in Islamic Studies at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California before earning his second MA in Creative Writing at Swansea University in South Wales. Along with producing a collection of short stories for his creative thesis, Ali has published several poems in literary journals and founded his own, The Gull, with a colleague at Swansea University.

In between his studies, he pursued a career as a composer and musician in Amherst, Massachusetts. Most recently, Ali founded Whetstone Center for the Arts in Jeddah, KSA, where he teaches music and creative writing.