News

I just finished reading Tahmima Anam’s first book, A Golden Age, a historical novel set during the Bangladeshi war of independence. It follows a young widow named Rehana, as she tries to keep her small family–her son Sohail, and her daughter Maya–together through the horror of the 1971 war with Pakistan. A Golden Age has one of the best opening chapters I’ve read in a while, and so it was good to see it included in the latest issue of Granta magazine (Granta 96: War Zones).

I was very upset to have missed Mahmoud Darwish‘s appearance in Morocco last week. (In my defense, I should say that the organizers had originally listed him as reading in Casablanca, and then moved him to Rabat at the last minute and I couldn’t make arrangements to go.) I feel horrible to have missed him. Who knows when an opportunity to hear him might come again?

By the way, Copper Canyon Press is publishing a translation by Fady Joudah of three recent works by Darwish, under the title The Butterfly’s Burden. And here’s the best part: The volume is bilingual, so you can feast on the Arabic as well as the English. Get your copy. Now.

We had a great turnout at Dar America on Thursday. I find the experience of meeting my readers very pleasurable, but I have to say it feels even more special to be able to read from Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits here in Casablanca. The questions revolved around the theme of immigration: “Why did you choose this? Is it because it’s in fashion?” I had to smile at this, and explain that devoting three years of my life to something that may be ‘à la mode’ would not be the best use of my time. I didn’t set out to write about immigration; I set out to write about one young man’s desire to prove to his family that he could be a success if only the right opportunity came along. And the story of Murad turned into something bigger and more complex, until I ended up with this book. The other questions were about individual stories, the process of writing Hope, the title of the book, what I am working on now, and so on. I had a wonderful, wonderful time.

I signed copies of the French edition of my book at the Casablanca Book Fair on Friday. The Moroccan staff at the Librairie Nationale booth was so welcoming, offering me mint tea and assorted pastries, and keeping me company while readers drifted in and out. In the photo above, I am meeting two bloggers, who had come by for a quick interview.

This afternoon I’ll be reading from Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits at the Casablanca Book Fair. Here are the details:

4:00 PM
Reading & Discussion (in French)
Librairie Nationale Booth
Casablanca Book Fair
Foire des Expositions
Casablanca, Morocco

This event will be in French.