Craig’s latest book, Habibi, took years to create and its more than 600 pages are clearly the work of a master; the art is often intricate, delicately balanced and breathtaking and the effort put into research and worldbuilding become clear in the incredible immersion this story offers. Just brushing the surface, this book is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever encountered.
It’s also incredibly ambitious in it’s field of concern. Habibi is a magnificent love story but it also looks unflinchingly at gender, sexuality, environmentalism, poverty, religion, racism, globalization, and exploitation with nuance and obvious care. This work has as much concern for global issues as it does for the intimate details of life and every part of the story is challenging both intellectually and emotionally.