The Timbuktu School for Nomads

Award-winning writer Nicholas Jubber journeys across the Atlas Mountains, the Western Sahara and the Niger River to explore the evolution of nomadism in the 21st century. Once the hub of African civilisation and the world’s richest city, Timbuktu is now the middle of nowhere and remains a dangerous place, liberated after a year occupied by jihadists. Yet Jubber heads into the desert in disguise to learn the age-old skills of the nomads, how they interact with each other and the communities which settled between them, and why their existence is so essential, yet remains under threat. From cattle-herders on the Malian plains and goatherders in the Atlas mountains, to fishermen on the Niger river and salt traders near Timbuktu, this is a story of resilience and compassion, how past and present collide, and ultimately, a great adventure across the Sahara. Allen & Unwin, RRP: $32.99