In this compelling debut, Ben Rawlence sets out to gather the news that never travels far – the news from the uneasy peace being made in Congo’s ‘silent quarter’. He travels by foot, bike, and boat, taking his time and meeting the people who are making a life in one of the world’s most dangerous places. He introduces us to Colonel Rachid, a guerrilla turned army officer; the Lebanese cousins Mohammed & Mohammed, young tin traders shipped to Africa by their family; and the priest Jean-Baptiste, who explains the price of beer and normality. Along the way, Rawlence exposes the real story of Congo, during and after the war.

• Confessions from Correspondentland
• Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria
• In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in the Congo (Text Only)
• Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa
• The Granta Book of the African Short Story