In partnership with Lancaster Litfest
We are honoured to welcome leading Palestinian writer Raja Shehadeh, acclaimed author of Palestinian Walks and co-author Penny Johnson in collaboration with Lancaster Litfest.
When Raja Shehadeh first started hill walking in Palestine, in the late 1970s, he was not aware that he was travelling through a vanishing landscape. He will talk about his life, his work as a human rights lawyer, his love of walking and his many acclaimed books, including Palestinian Walks that have led to him being called 'a defiantly free spirit: a Palestinian Montaigne' (Adam Shatz, LRB).
In the second half Raja will be joined by his wife and co-author Penny Johnson to discuss their new book Forgotten: Searching for Palestine's Hidden Places and Lost Memorials: a profound meditation on memory and what we choose to memorialise.
This evening will be a celebration of Raja's life’s work and will include images, video and film footage of the Palestinian landscape through which he has walked all his life. In a year in which we explore the theme of Land, tonight could not be more relevant.
The evening will be moderated by Madeline-Sophie Abbas, Senior Lecturer in Sociology (Race and Anti-Racism) at Lancaster University. Abbas will bring up some of the core themes within this body of work, such as walking and writing as a means of documenting changes to accessing and enjoying the (disappearing) beauty of the Palestinian landscape and rediscovering a hidden history of what remains.
If you are unable to make the show in person Litfest are providing a live stream of the event, available to book here.
'A great inspiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholic and wise'
Colm Tóibín
This show is not part of our theatre season ticket offer.
Credit: Bassam Almohor
