Horch, Daniel

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HORCH, Daniel

PERSONAL: Born in New York, NY. Education: Attended Freie Universitat, Berlin; Harvard University, graduated 1993.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

CAREER: Author, journalist, translator.

WRITINGS:

The Angel with One Hundred Wings: A Tale from theArabian Nights, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: A journalist of wide-ranging experience, Daniel Horch has studied in Germany, traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East, and settled in Brazil. For his first novel, Horch traveled to a different world altogether, to a ninth-century Baghdad then known as "The City of Peace." In The Angel with One Hundred Wings: A Tale from the Arabian Nights, Horch brings to life the world of Sultan Harun alRashid, the magnificent monarch who presided over a vast empire, and over a spy service that watched over friends and enemies alike.

Horch tells the story of one of the Sultan's closest friends, the alchemist Abulhassan Ibn Thaher who frequently goes up against the Sultan in friendly chess matches. When a passionate prince of Persia and the Sultan's favorite concubine ask Thaher's help in running away together, Thaher is forced to question the meaning of his life, and the choices he's made. He decides to help the couple, abandoning the safety that has marked his life and embarking on a dangerous adventure that forces him to reexamine his philosophy of life and his relationships with his own wife and children. "Much like a chess match, the plot is driven by advances and retreats, surprising strategies and much suspense," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer. At the same time, Horch "flavors his narration with a vivid portrait of ancient Baghdad and Islamic culture," according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor. "Equal parts adventure, romance, and philosophical meditation, Horch's debut is full of action and lush imagery," concluded Booklist's Brendan Driscoll.