A Thousand and One Ways to Get What You Want

Persia, 550 AD. With the Roman Empire fallen and Europe nearing the Dark Ages, the Sassanid Empire endures despite droughts, conflicts and a king hiding from his people. In the capital Ctesiphon, located 32 km southeast of present-day Baghdad, Zadi — the willful and outspoken daughter of King Shahryar’s chief administrator — is determined to change an unjust world for the better. Her problem? Despite her sharp intellect, her ideas are often dismissed because she is a woman. When thrust into the role of the mercurial king’s new mistress, Zadi leverages her talent for storytelling to circumvent societal constraints and offer him counsel as he grapples with the challenges of ruling an increasingly unstable empire. As he becomes reliant on her insights, the balance of power shifts between them. A Thousand and One Ways to Get What You Want is a modern tale inspired by the characters of One Thousand and One Nights, centring around Zadi and her complicated relationship with King Shahryar and the intrigues at the court, all set against a high-stakes power struggle amongst the noble families in ancient Persia.