Pakistan, 2083 AD.

For Avaan, a gun in his hand feels as natural as breathing. As a Pakistani without citizenship, living under martial law and religious bigotry, violence has become a way of life. What respite he had from the world — his brother, his family, and Doua, the love of his life — was snatched away in a military raid.

Now broken, Avaan finds himself involved in a civil war that poisons everything he’s ever touched. The army shadows his every move, a mob boss wants him dead, and a legendary resistance leader has taken a keen interest in him. But there is a ray of hope: Avaan discovers that Doua is alive. Obsessed with finding her, he takes a stand against the army, the mob, and Pakistan itself with the only thing he could ever count on: the gun in his hand.

Saad T. Farooqi holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Kingston University London and a BA in English Literature from the American University of Sharjah. His short stories and poems have appeared in various international magazines. His shining moment on stage was accidentally setting his poem on fire by standing too close to a candle. When not writing, Saad enjoys boxing, experimenting in the kitchen to varying levels of success, and devouring anything film noir. Saad spent the majority of his life as a Pakistani expat in Dubai. He immigrated to Canada in 2015 and currently resides in London, Ontario.

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“[Saad T. Farooqi] transports readers to late 21st century Pakistan, reaching beyond established narratives to create a unique speculative work that truly explores the most fraught and damaging aspects of the political climate in the country, eschewing more romantic ideas that have unpinned much of previous literature about this specific place.”

Open Book

“Pakistan’s historical treatment of religious minorities, including minority sects of Islam, makes the world Farooqi evokes feel all the more visceral – and horrifyingly possible. … White World is a gritty read that shocks, frightens, and challenges.”

Quill & Quire