Afsana Press

27/11/2024

Out Now!!!
Excitedly, we received the books.
So beautiful as all the poems in them.
SONGS OF FREEDOM is out.
Thank you so much to all the participants!
With an amazing artwork on the cover by Soniya Ahmed.
You can order it from any bookshop or via our website:
https://www.afsanapress.uk/product/songs-of-freedom/

13/11/2024

Dear friends,
Afsana Press and Royal Holloway University of London invite you to this special event, presenting an amazing book by anthropologist Dr Fazil Moradi about genocide survivors’ hospitality. BEING HUMAN offers an unprecedented pathway to the study of political violence. A sweeping work of anthropological hospitality, returning to the Anfāl operations as the violence of political modernity. With testimonial narratives, archives, poetry, artworks, museums, memorials, symbolic cemeteries, and infinite pursuit of justice in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Organised by Mandana Hendessi and Mashuq Kurt at Royal Holloway University, London.
Friday, 22 Nov, at 17:00 GMT at the Stewart House Royal Holloway Rooms 2/3.
See you there:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/being-human-political-modernity-and-hospitality-in-kurdistan-iraq-tickets-1056646581369?aff=oddtdtcreator

29/10/2024

REMINDER:
Hope to see you all tomorrow, 30 October, all for the launch of Kae Bahar's amazing novel The Good, the Bad and the Gr**go, published by Afsana Press. At the wonderful Stanfords Bookshop in London's Covent Garden 7:00-8:30p.m.
Please book soon, as places are limited:
https://www.stanfords.co.uk/event-the-good-the-bad-and-the-gringo-by-kae-bahar-1028001017717?fbclid=IwY2xjawGN53FleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQsVb5AHA_f38Gj2CZ_B5QeuVnGGCui0Q_2Vf9ugjonHOLu-NUuKQtgrYg_aem_lKg6sn6JV5mzI58tnnNrwA

Your attendance is a great support to Afsana Press
It's a novel you will not put down once you've started.

24/10/2024

بۆ هەموو هاوڕێیانمان لە بێرمینگهام و هەموو میوانەکانی دیداری فیلمی کوردی لە بێرمینگام، هیوادارین میوانی ئێمەش بن بۆ پێشکەشکردنی کتێبێکی نوێی ئەفسانە پرێس: باشێک و خراپێک و گرینگۆ، لە نووسینی نووسەر و دەرهێنەری کورد کەی بەهار. بەهیوای دیدار رۆژی شەممە (26 October) کاتژمێری سێی پاشنیوەڕۆ بۆ کاتژمێرێک لە گفتوگۆ و واژۆکردنی رۆمانەکە لەلایەن نووسەرەوە. ئەدرێسەکە لە پۆستەرەکەدایە.
هاتنتان مایەی شانیزیمانە و پشتگیرییەکی گەورەشە بۆ ئەفسانە پرێس.

Our dear friends in Birmingham and all friends who visit the Birmingham film event this weekend, join us for the launch of The Good, the Bad and the Gr**go by British-Kurdish writer and director Kae Bahar. The book is published by Afsana Press.
Boo launch: Saturday, 26 October, 3:00-4:00 pm.
Address in the poster.

15/10/2024

Hope to see you all at this event on Thursday, 17 Oct, 6:30pm at Camden Art Centre in London. We will have a great discussion.
More info:
https://www.exiledwriters.co.uk/exiled-cafe/

06/09/2024

Dear friends and colleagues, I hope to see you on Monday evening (9 September) at this amazing literary salon in the heart of London. I'll be reading from my work along a number of wonderful writers who have been featured on the amazing Story Radio Podcast.
Entry is free. You can register via the link below.
Starts at 8-10 pm.
Address:
4 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BS
We'll be downstairs in the Colony Room Green, an art lovers paradise with an excellent bar at 4 Heddon St.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/story-radio-writers-salon-at-the-colony-room-green-tickets-993511197737

17/05/2024

Next week we will be on a tour through the UK with Choman Hardi talking about her novel Whispering Walls. Join us when and where you can.

London:
Mon, 20 May 18:00 - 20:00
Stewart House, 32 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DN
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gender-trauma-and-coming-to-terms-with-a-haunting-past-tickets-900082650437?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2W1Pzr6_sLi-N5lJ3X9pb-PbuZXR0p8jrvOTp1_XrzKn3FnfZc--e17ls_aem_AdJL1fPFtiCmZXXYGwnBl_ZATLxY8qJ3vcKydCoJx9yvhkdD5aE3uIziKfvj718_TN7eBMOFvyKt3jlJgdwpxzjS

Canterbury:
Tue 21 May 15:00 -18:00
Waterstones – Rose Lane
8 Rose Lane, Canterbury, CT1 2SJ
https://www.waterstones.com/events/reading-with-q-and-a-iraqi-novelist-and-poet-choman-hardi/canterbury-rose-lane

Sheffield:
Wed-Thur, 22–23 May 09:00-16:00
University of Sheffield
Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN
https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/news/KSS-2024?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR343iSxYft2RXCxAZQPctI2DWYjCd_BqFnqdeK8dUR98XJ1ADQ1agLNsrM_aem_AdKgJ7BGzNMkMnkFkq2klrPhWneforAsufgHMUws1CsvN-fXlINLCxf3pnNsIyM6louryGEf3GOpF4YJHZRDtSOv

Oxford:
Fri 24 May 17:00 - 19:00
Queen’s College Translation Exchange
High Street, Oxford, OX1 4AW
https://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/events/whispering-walls-literature-gender-and-values-in-translation-with-choman-hardi/

10/05/2024

Dear friends in London and everywhere. This is really a unique project by the amazing Kurdish musician and artist Hardi Kurda on 11 May in Cafe OTO in Dalston / Hackney. 7:30pm
18–22 Ashwin street
London
E8 3DL
Hope to see you there.
https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/hardi-kurda-archive-khanah/

15/03/2024

Hope to see you all at this amazing book fair tomorrow, 16 March. Come and meet us and other publishers between 10:30am-5pm.
Then in the evening, at this amazing Newroz music concert. Between 7-10pm.
We will be selling so many unmissable books at both events.
Check out them:

https://www.facebook.com/events/421150340473893/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A734097358822602%7D%7D]%22%7D

12/03/2024

An amazing review and in-depth reading of Choman Hardi's novel, WHISPERING WALLS. It shows how multi-layered this story is.
By Stanley Thangaraj
Please check out this incredible book:
https://www.afsanapress.uk/product/whispering-walls/
I could not put this novel down. Wow! It was such an incredible book. I was blown away by the writing, the depth of the characters, and the rich social contexts. The metaphors and poetry were brilliant. I thought the ways Choman Hardi contextualized families and children provided such depth and meanings of love, anxiety, history, and pain across Kurdish generations. It was so rich! I was also blown away with how she wove in the trauma and violence into the everyday practices and mediations of life and the quotidian. It was stunning to see such complex social histories written in such accessible and powerful ways. I loved also the ways she played with fire and water, not as opposites and not as singular beings. For example, a character burning herself alongside the impact of Saddam's chemical warfare. All of it showed the ways that earth, wind, water, and fire are incorporated into life. The constant play between water and fire, as co-dwelling instead of cancelling each other, showed the complexities of life with humans and non-humans. I marked down so many passages that I want to highlight and use as epigraphs in my book project. She refused to essentialize the characters and Kurdish experiences, it was truly a brilliant and beautiful feminist project of love. She is such a gifted writer! I feel so lucky for having read it. The ways the walls whisper and the ways people whisper through and against walls also amazing. She showcases the intricacies of the personal and individual while highlighting power. I love this book and purchase a copy right away!

Now Available By Choman Hardi Binding: Paperback Format: 198 x 129 mm Extent: 304 pages Price: £10.99 ISBN: 9781739982454 BIC: 2.0 Modern & Contemporary Fiction (FA) Official release: 20 September 2023 (available for sale from 20 April 2023) Format: e-Book Extent: 304 pages Price: £6.99 ISBN: 9781...