First Impressions

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, is from a Nobel laureate's novel of colonial times:

"Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad closed the door behind him and crossed the courtyard of his house by the pale light of the stars."

* Entries, including postal address, should be sent to First Impressions, The Times Higher , Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX, faxed to 020 7782 3300 or e-mailed to theschat@thes.co.uk

The winner receives a £25 book voucher. The closing date is October 3.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified Isaac Newton's Opticks, or a Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light , was Moira Sarsfield of the faculty of life sciences, Imperial College London.

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