Finding Aladdin: The Hidden History of a Syrian Storyteller

by Matthew Teller

This is a book about stories and storytelling, and about celebrating a young storyteller whose name was almost lost to history.

When The Arabian Nights were first translated into European languages in the 1700s, they caused a sensation. Most were ancient tales, drawn from Arabic folklore. But perhaps the most famous of all, Aladdin, was completely new.

Centuries later, a discovery in the Vatican archives revealed that Hanna Diab, a young Syrian adventurer, had spun stories from his own extraordinary life to create Aladdin, his alter ego in fiction.

In this captivating case of literary deduction, Matthew Teller unearths the hidden history of the boy, the genie and his lamp, recovering a skilled storyteller hiding in plain sight.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 12, 2026

About the author

Matthew Teller writes for the BBC, The Times, Guardian, Independent, Financial Times and other global media. He has produced and presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and World Service, and has reported for 'From Our Own Correspondent' from around the Middle East and beyond. He is the author of several travel guides, including the Rough Guide to Jordan. His most recent book is Quite Alone: Journalism from the Middle East 2008-2019,