The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem Groundswell Speaker 2024 Valentine's day

Valentine's day

The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes

naïve Catherine Morland experiences the joys of fashionable society for the first time

long-held secrets and resentments begin to come to the fore

Shadows of Self

The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem Groundswell Speaker 2024 Valentine's dayAlaa is haunted by his grandmother's memories of being displaced from Jaffa and becoming a refugee in her homeland after the Nakba. Ariel, Alaas neighbour and friend, is a liberal Zionist, critical of the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza yet faithful to the project of Israel. When he wakes up one morning to find that all Palestinians have suddenly vanished, Ariel begins searching for clues to the secret of their collective disappearance.