'Choukri is a powerful teller of stories. His telling of oppression is vivid and remarkable.'-Morning Star

The story of Mohamed Choukri's life is continued in the sequel to For Bread Alone. In his early twenties, Choukri takes the momentous decision to learn to read and write. When not at school he hangs out in cafes, drinking and smoking kif. Some nights he sleeps in a dosshouse, but mostly he sleeps in mosques or on the street, while local prostitutes take him home, providing some human solace.

Mohamed Choukri is one of North Africa's most controversial and widely read authors.