Canada Reads winner Samra Habib to host series exploring Khaled Hosseini's novel A Thousand Splendid Suns
Samra Habib, author of We Have Always Been Here, will host an online series called The Elements of Story, which will explore Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Organized by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and the Canadian Stage, the six-week program will include interactive discussions and lectures aimed at providing readers a deeper understanding of the novel and its author.
Set in Kabul, Afghanistan — where Hosseini was born — A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of two women brought together by war and loss. As they face the escalating dangers around them, Hosseini shows how love inspires their unlikely friendship and heroic acts of self-sacrifice.
The program will include a series of lectures exploring the intersection of politics, religion and gender.
Habib is also a journalist and photographer. Her work has been featured in publications like the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post and Vanity Fair. She is also the creator of the photo documentary project Just Me and Allah, in which she travelled the world to document the diverse stories of LGBTQIA Muslims. We Have Always Been Here is her first book.
We Have Always Been Here is about Habib's childhood in Pakistan, arriving in Canada as a refugee and coming out as a proud queer Muslim woman. Amanda Brugel won Canada Reads 2020 defending We Have Always Been Here.
Kabul-born artist and activist Mozhdah Jamalzadah, who championed The Boat People by Sharon Bala on Canada Reads 2018, and journalist Kamal Al-Solaylee, who's memoir Intolerable was defended by Kristin Kreuk on Canada Reads 2015, are set as guest lecturers, alongside CBC Radio's Ideas host Nahlah Ayed.
The series will end with a live conversation featuring the A Thousand Splendid Suns author on Friday Nov. 13, 2020.
In addition, participants will have access to facilitated group discussions and an original series of microfilm poems by Afghan and Canadian filmmakers.
The program begins on Oct. 6, 2020.
More information can be found at the Canadian Stage website.
