Fiction

Nights in Shahantu

Nights in Shahantu (شەوان لە شاهانتوو) is one of the most prominent dynamic plays written by the celebrated Kurdish author and intellectual Bachtiar Ali. This piece marks a significant breakthrough and departure from conventional Kurdish playwriting by stepping away from purely localized narratives to establish a universal, existential setting that mirrors the absurdity and cold framework of modern city life. The plot unfolds in an extraordinary city called "Shahantu"—a place that overly welcomes its guests and hides no secrets, drawing its power from complete exposure. However, the answers provided by this city only deepen one's doubts rather than leading to absolute truth.

In Shahantu, the ruling Prince demands performance and theatrical role-playing from his citizens instead of authentic living. The tragedy of the characters is that while they are fully aware they are playing parts, they can no longer distinguish between their actual lives and the masks they wear. Eschewing rhetorical or magical language, Bachtiar Ali utilizes a sharp, critical dialogue inspired by Brechtian alienation effects to prompt intellectual reflection over emotional immersion. Prefaced by Luigi Pirandello’s famous quote, "In life, we have two options: to live or to perform," the play serves as a profound psychological and philosophical mirror on the truth of human existence.

A deeply philosophical and critical play by Bachtiar Ali that explores the surreal borders between true reality and artificial performance in human life through the eccentric setting of the city of "Shahantu".

In stock: 2 copies