This is a ticketed event. This event is presented by Narrative and will be hosted offsite at The Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square. Please review all details below and your shopping cart prior to completing your purchase. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Join us in celebration of author Saara El-Arifi for the U.S. launch of her new novel, CLEOPATRA. El-Arifi will be joined in conversation by author R. F. Kuang.

EVENT DETAILS:

Venue: The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

6:30PM: Check-in

7:00PM: Event Start

7-8PM: Author Conversation + Audience Q&A

8-8:45PM: Book signing with both authors

9PM: Event End

*Works from both authors will be available for purchase on-site. $5 credit included with all registration purchases- redeemable during the event only, 1 credit redemption per purchase.

This is an in-person event & will not be live-streamed. Recording/photography is not permitted during this event. Further details will be emailed to all registered guests prior to the event. Please reach out to info@narrativebookshop.com with any questions.

CLEOPATRA:

Everyone knows the name Cleopatra. To historians, she was the ruler of Egypt; to the Romans, a villainess; and to Hollywood, a glamorous and romantic superstar… but who was she, truly? In the stunning new novel, CLEOPATRA (Ballantine; on sale 2/24/26), bestselling author Saara El-Arifi brings the iconic Egyptian queen to life as we’ve never known her before: richly reimagined, deeply human, and speaking in Cleopatra’s own voice. This is not simply a retelling; it is a resurrection.

The novel opens with 19-year-old Cleopatra being thrust upon the throne after her father’s death, unaware of what the next 20 years will bring. Though blessed by the Goddess Isis, even divine favor cannot shield her from what lies ahead: the upheaval of a Roman civil war, the wrath of the gods, and most of all the lure of love.

El-Arifi, best known for her fantasy novels—including bestseller and BookTok favorite Faebound—also holds a master’s degree in African studies with a dissertation focused on Cleopatra, making her the perfect voice to bring to life the story of the last Egyptian pharaoh as both a historical figure and a mythological one. She infuses CLEOPATRA with historical depth from years of research, the feminist heart of Madeline Miller’s Circe, and the magical spark of Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne to explore the myths that made Cleopatra’s followers believe she was a living goddess. The result is a novel that is epic, transportive, enchanting, and completely fresh.

EARLY PRAISE:

*A Book Riot Most Anticipated Book of 2026*

*A BookBub Best Historical Fiction of Winter*

“Few historical figures have been as maligned, romanticized or exoticized as Cleopatra. With this unflinching take on her life and legacy, El-Arifi raises Cleopatra from the sands of time, greets her with profound compassion, and liberates her from the judgement of men, granting her dignity and humanity. An extraordinary achievement.”

—Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

“Cleopatra is a sensational work in historical writing: Cleopatra as she is meant to be told. Saara El-Arifi is true brilliance, and this book cements here even further as one of the most prolific and important writers of the moment.”

—Hannah Kaner, bestselling author of Godkiller

“Action-packed… Filled with carefully researched detail… A worthy addition to novels about powerful women.”

—Kirkus

SAARA EL- ARIFI is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of fantasy and historical fiction. El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Over the years, she has perfected her tall tales into epic ones. She has lived in many countries, had many jobs, and owned many more cats. After a decade of working in marketing and communications, she returned to academia to complete a master’s degree in African studies specializing in Cleopatra’s myth and her impact on Black women. She currently resides in London as a full-time procrastinator.

R. F. KUANG is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, Yellowface, and Katabasis. Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. She was named to the 2023 Time100 Next list and the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2024. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she researches Sinophone literature and Asian American literature.