Shatila Stories by Nashwa Gowanlock
Adam and his family flee Syria and arrive at the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. Conditions in this overcrowded Palestinian camp are tough, and violence defines many of the relationships: a father fights to save his daughter, a gang leader plots to expand his influence, and drugs break up a family. Adam struggles to make sense of his refugee experience, but then he meets Shatha and starts to view the camp through her eyes. Most novels are written by professionals using second hand material. Not this one. The editors have taken nine refugees, taught them the basics of creative writing, and asked them to tell their "Shatila Stories". The result is a miracle - a piece of collaborative fiction unlike any other. If you want to understand the chaos of the Middle East - or you just want to follow the course of a beautiful love story - start here. 'I want to hear their stories and see if their imaginations can open up a new path of understanding between us. Collaborative works of literature can achieve what no other literature can do. By pooling our imaginations we are able to access something totally different and new that goes beyond boundaries - that of the individual, of nations, of cultures. It connects us to our common human essence: our creativity. Let's make stories, not more war.' Meike Ziervogel, Peirene Press Authors: Omar Khaled Ahmad, Nibal Alalo, Safa Khaled Algharbawi, Omar Abdellatif Alndaf, Rayan Mohamad Sukkar, Safiya Badran, Fatima Omar Ghazawi, Samih Mahmoud, Hiba Mareb. Translated by: Nashwa Gowanlock
'This remarkable novel isn't about the refugee voice; it is born from it and told through itOn every page, the glint of hope for dignity and a better life is heartbreakingly alive.' KHALED HOSSEINI, AUTHOR OF THE KITE RUNNER; 'Both from a humanitarian standpoint and an artistic perspective, Peirene are doing invaluable work in finding new voices who open our eyes, ears and hearts to worldly reality in all its profound suffering, joy, community, isolation and complexity.' BIDISHA, WRITER AND BROADCASTER; 'Compassion for our fellow humans fosters change. Shatila Stories allows us a window into the lives of those fleeing a war zone and their attempts to find a safe sanctuary.' LUCY POPESCU, CRITIC AND WRITER
Nine Syrian and Palestinian refugees took part in a creative writing workshop run by Peirene in 2017 in the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. Afterwards, the participants were commissioned to create a piece of collaborative literature. The group consists of six women and three men between the ages of 20 and 43. Some have a university degree, others have never completed their formal schooling. Most have arrived in Beirut from Syria over the last five years, and a couple are second and third generation Palestinian refugees who were born in Shatila. Their names are: Omar Khaled Ahmad, Nibal Alalo, Safa Khaled Algharbawi, Omar Abdellatif Alndaf, Rayan Mohamad Sukkar, Safiya Badran, Fatima Omar Ghazawi, Samih Mahmoud, Hiba Mareb.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781908670489 |
| ISBN 10 | 1908670487 |
| Title | Shatila Stories |
| Author | Nashwa Gowanlock |
| Series | Peirene Now! |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Peirene Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2018-06-18 |
| Number of pages | 150 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |