Arabesque Festival

The Arabesque Festival was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to get to know the twenty-five writers who were taking part in the Literary Series. There were some whose work I was very familiar with (like Ahdaf Soueif) and others whose novels I read just before the festival (like Anouar Benmalek, pictured below.) I had a lovely surprise when I arrived at the Kennedy Center for one of my panels: hardcover copies of Secret Son, apparently shipped straight from the warehouse, were waiting for me. It was wonderful to hold the book in my hands and to read a short excerpt from it. (I didn’t get to keep a copy since we sold out of them, but of course I don’t mind.) Many thanks to all those who came out. It was great meeting you.

I’m so, so, so tired, especially because I had to finish a book review on the plane back, came home to a pile of student papers to grade, and have to start preparations for (another) move.