THE YOUTH OF GOD tells the story of Nuur, a sensitive and religious seventeen-year-old Somali-Canadian boy who becomes radicalized by the teachings of Imam Yusuf at the local mosque in a neighbourhood in Toronto called Dixon that has become synonymous with crime, unemployment, and the broken dreams of many Somali immigrants. Trying to rescue Nuur from Islamic radicalism is his Somali biology teacher, Mr Ilmi. Through the story of this one boy, the novel dramatizes the struggle for the soul of Islam.

Hassan Ghedi Santur emigrated from Somalia to Canada at age thirteen. He has a BA in English Literature and an MA in journalism from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He has worked as a radio journalist for CBC Radio. In 2010 he published his debut novel Something Remains, and Maps of Exile, an exploration of the plight of African migrants in Europe.

Michael Busch is a writer and researcher, and serves as Senior Editor at Warscapes Magazine and the Director of Public Programing at The Polis Project.