First Impressions

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, is from a work by a Nobel laureate famous for both his fiction and nonfiction:

"Sadeq was to go with me from Tehran to the holy city of Qom, a hundred miles to the south."

* 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 emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk

The winner receives a £25 book voucher.

The closing date is October 9.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified The Gallic War by Julius Caesar, is Mary Ratcliffe, head of the Schoolof Education, Southampton University.

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