The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a 2019 novel by English writer Christy Lefteri. Its characters are Syrian refugees who leave the country in 2015 and travel through Europe with the aim of finding sanctuary in the UK.
 The cover of the first edition of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, published in May 2019 | |
| Author | Christy Lefteri |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Art Malik |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Zaffre |
| Pages | 378 |
| Awards | Aspen Words Literary Prize |
| ISBN | 978-1-78576-893-4 |
| Website | https://www.beekeeperofaleppo.com |
Background
editThe Beekeeper of Aleppo is a novel drawn from the author's experience over two summers volunteering in Athens, Greece, at a refugee centre run by the NGO Faros. It deals with the plight of refugees from Syria to Europe during the Syrian Revolution in 2015.[1][2][3][4] It is Lefteri's second novel.[5]
The character of beekeeper Mustafa is based on Ryad Alsous, an academic at the University of York and formerly Damascus University.[6]
Synopsis
editThe story is told by a Syrian man from Aleppo, Nuri, who before the revolution was a beekeeper who worked with his friend Mustafa. The novel tells the story of the journey travelled by Nuri and his wife Afra, who leave Syria after Nuri is threatened by the police. Mustafa has already managed to get to safety in England.
Publication
editIn a six-way auction in 2018, Zaffre (a Bonnier Books imprint) acquired the rights to publish The Beekeeper of Aleppo in May 2019.[5]
Reception and awards
editWith over a million copies sold internationally as of 2023,[7] The Beekeeper of Aleppo became The Sunday Times' third bestselling fiction paperback of 2020, [8] and made the Richard & Judy Book Club list.[9]
The novel won the 2020 Aspen Words Literary Prize[10] and was runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the fiction category.[11]
The audiobook version, narrated by Art Malik, was shortlisted for a British Book Award in 2020.[12]
Stage adaptation
editIn 2023, Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler adapted the story for stage. UK Productions staged the production at various locations in the UK, including Nottingham Playhouse.[13] Reviewing the play for The Guardian, Anya Ryan said the story was powerful, but thought that there was "a stiffness and sense of detachment to the staging".[13]
References
edit- ↑ East, Ben (5 May 2019). "In brief: Record Play Pause; Normal People; The Beekeeper of Aleppo – reviews". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ↑ Pollak, Sorcha (3 June 2019). "The Beekeeper of Aleppo: Fictionalising the refugee crisis from personal experience". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ↑ Bajekal, Naina (22 August 2019). "A New Novel Sees Beyond the Abstraction of Today's Refugee Stories". Time. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ↑ Power, Jonathan (27 August 2019). "The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- 1 2 Cowdrey, Katherine (25 September 2018). "Parkin wins 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' for Zaffre". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ↑ Weston, Phoebe (14 December 2021). "'I could be a bee in a hive': the real-life Beekeeper of Aleppo on life in Yorkshire". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ↑ Szewczyk, Elaine (29 September 2023). "The Forest Fires of Greece Wreathe Christy Lefteri's Latest Novel". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ↑ "The Sunday Times bestsellers of the year: nonfiction and fiction". The Sunday Times. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ↑ Chandler, Mark (20 February 2020). "Richard & Judy Book Club features Gregory, Lefteri and Gayle". The Bookseller. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ↑ Travers, Andrew (16 April 2020). "Christy Lefteri's 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' wins Aspen Words Literary Prize". Aspen Times. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ↑ "Chanel Miller's memoir 'Know My Name' wins a prestigious book award". Gulf Today. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ "Bonnier Books UK shortlisted for five British Book Awards". Bonnier Books. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- 1 2 Ryan, Anya (9 February 2023). "The Beekeeper of Aleppo review – harrowing refugee tale reaches the stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2025.