In New Shoes, Hisham Matar asks what haunts us when we leave home and reads it himself

This week, we’re kicking off with a story we reckon you’ll find a piece of yourself in. It isn’t a podcast in the usual sense; it’s more of a reading, but it’s worth your time regardless. Earlier in September, The New Yorker published a short story by Hisham Matar, the American-born, Cairo-raised, British-Libyan writer behind My Friends, which earned the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. In The New Yorker: The Writer’s Voice, Matar narrates his latest story, New Shoes.

What to expect: New Shoes follows a narrator in exile, a man who left Cairo at 18 to find a better life for himself and his family, who could afford only one ticket. He spent the next decade in Europe before settling in London, where he runs what is essentially a newspaper shop. Then the calls start. Family and old friends keep telling him they’ve seen him back in Cairo, sipping tea at ahwas, walking down the street, and browsing shops. The narrator can’t make sense of it and begins to wonder whether he has a double.

What we liked: New Shoes is a brilliant piece of work. It takes the deeply human question of “what if?” and runs with it, imagining the life the narrator never lived and leaving him to reckon with his regrets and a reality he didn’t expect. It’s introspective and heartfelt, and Matar’s own narration adds depth. His voice is calming, and his storytelling is assured.

The verdict: In just under 30 minutes, New Shoes leaves a lasting impression, and it has been on our minds since the narration came out in September. It’s an expertly crafted and expertly narrated tale of displacement, identity, and what haunts us when we leave home behind. If you want a listen that’s anything but your usual, make it this one today.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can tune in on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anghami.