Author Archives: a-hydra

Date : 25 January 2012

Place: Hydra Books, 34 Old Market

Time: 7pm

Hydra Books is pleased to welcome Selma Dabbagh to the shop this Wednesday as part of our series of “Meet the Author” events.

Details of Selma’s book are here. If you want to listen back to today’s interview with Dr Phil Hammond on BBC Radio Bristol it is here with the interview taking place between 2:22 and 2:30 hours into the broadcast (11:22 am this morning). You may also be interested in the reviews in The Guardian or the Beirut Daily Star.

The book was published by Bloomsbury (UK) on 5 December 2011. Selma will be talking about the background to the book and doing a short reading. We will then have a discussion with her concerning Gaza and the novel.

Gaza is being bombed. After spending the night getting stoned watching it happen, Rashid wakes to hear that he’s got the escape route he’s been waiting for: a scholarship to London. His sister, Iman – frustrated by atrocities and inaction around her – has spent the night at a meeting that offers her nothing but more frustration. Grabbing desperately at another opportunity, she finds herself followed by an unknown fighter. A gripping tale of dispossession and belonging, treachery and loyalty, endurance and bravery, Out of It follows the lives of Rashid and Iman as they try to forge places for themselves in the midst of occupation, the growing divide between Palestinian factions, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Written with extraordinary humanity and sharp humour, this book re-defines Palestine and its people.

“An original and vivid voice. Full of energy, this is a new and welcome take on the Palestinian story.”
AHDAF SOUEIF

Selma Dabbagh is a British Palestinian writer of fiction based in London.

Her writing is mainly set in the contemporary Middle East. Recurring themes in her work are idealism (however futile), placelessness, political engagement (or lack thereof) and the impact of social conformity on individuals.

Date:         Thursday 26th January 2012

Time:          7:00 pm

Place:        Hydra Books

Counterpower is the single idea which explains why social movements succeed or fail. It has helped win campaigns, secure human rights, stop wars and even bring down governments.

Change can and does happen. But why is it that some campaigns succeed while others fail? Is it luck, or is there a common strategy unifying those that have achieved their aim, and what can we learn from the past? In Counterpower, activist Tim Gee seeks to get to the root of how change happens by taking an in-depth look at the strategies and tactics that have contributed to the success (or otherwise) of some of the most prominent movements for change from India’s Independence Movement to the Arab Spring. He concludes that any campaign is winnable in theory, but only if we are aware of our power.

About the Author: Tim Gee delivers training sessions for political activists. He studied Politics at Edinburgh University, where he was also active in the student movement. Tim has also contributed to several campaigning guides and manuals.

Published by New Internationalist Books – People, Ideas and Actions for Global Justice