A first person account of a young woman's coming of age, her circumcision, a marriage (at age 13), her escape to the city, etc. A vivid and true evocation of Somali life. index, notes 336pp. UK. BLOOMSBURY, 0747517614

The story of Bahsan's life begins in a tiny desert village in Northern Somalia in 1945 and ends in present day Europe. She is one of the first Bedouin women to receive a formal education at a British colonial school and later, to move in her own right to Somalia’s capital, Mogadiscio, for a prestigious job in a bank. When her country is taken over by a ruthless yet incompetent dictator, she tackles military training camp with gusto and when she and her friend Bilan are seconded to work for the dictator, does everything she can to undermine his authority. Her story gives an eyewitness account of recent Somali history. Duotone illus, 120pp, UK. MAMA EAST AFRICAN WOMEN'S GROUP.

New in paperback. Raised a Somali Muslim but increasingly outraged by her culture and religion's hostility towards women, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has now become one of the most admired and controversial political figures in the Netherlands. Now available in English for the first time, this collection of essays brings together some of her most passionate and compelling writing on a wide range of issues concerning Islam. Index, 187pp, UK. POCKET.

New smaller format edition. Fashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie was born into a family of Somali nomads and told her story of female circumcision at five years old; running away through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model) in her book 'Desert Flower'. This is the account of how she and journalist Corinna Milborn have investigated the practice of FGM in Europe. They estimate that up to 500,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM. At the moment, France is the only European country in which offenders are convicted and no European country officially recognises the threat of genital mutilation as a reason for asylum. 237pp, UK. VIRAGO.

New Edition. The sequel to Desert Flower describing the author's return to Somalia, her home and her mother. B/w illus, 227pp, UK. VIRAGO, 1844080080

New edition. Waris Dirie, whose name means 'desert flower', was one of 12 children born into a traditional family of tribal desert nomads in East Africa. She now leads a double life by day an internationally famous model and a spokesperson on women's rights in Africa at night she dreams of home in her native Somalia. b & w photos, 238pp, UK. VIRAGO, 1860497586

New paperback edition. The brutal murder of the Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in 2004 shocked the world. Shot and mutilated by a Muslim fanatic as he cycled to work, it was a stark reminder of the dangers of challenging an extreme Islamic worldview. It also changed the life of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, van Gogh's collaborator on the film that had offended his murderer. Born in Somalia and raised a Muslim, she had escaped an arranged marriage and made a new life as a Dutch parliamentarian, championing the reform of Islam and its attitude to women's rights. B/w photos, 368pp, UK. POCKET BOOKS.

New in paperback. The story of his childhood in Somalia, his family's attitude to religion, his double life as a British Muslim and that of other British Muslims: the failed suicide bomber from Somalia; his cousin who was stabbed in the neck on a London street on 8th July 2005. Full of humanity and rage, empathy and insight Only Half of Me takes us into lives that are widely misunderstood, and tries to make sense of our own fractured world. 224pp, UK. PENGUIN.

2007 2006 9780141017150 Paperback

Somali born Rageh Omar reported on the war on Iraq for the BBC, witnessing the hours of peace before bombs began to fall, the burning of Baghdad and the desperate weeks and months in the wake of the bombing. A unique narrative about a city and its people under siege. Includes new material after the conflict in 2003. Illustrated with colour photographs. Index, xix, 283pp, UK. VIKING (UK).