Finding Your Voice: A Writing Workshop and Reading
Award winning author and editor Susan Muaddi Darraj will present an overview of the writing and publishing process for creative people who have thought about publishing a book. Whether it’s a memoir, poetry, or a novel, your book can start its journey here as we discuss the ways in which books make it onto bookshelves. Bring your ideas and questions! The presentation will be followed by a brief reading from Susan’s latest novel, Behind You Is the Sea (Harper Collins 2024) and an overview of Palestinian American literature.
About the Author:
Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning writer of books for adults and children. She won an American Book Award, two Arab American Book Awards, and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. In 2018, she was named a USA Artists Ford Fellow. Her books include her linked short story collection, A Curious Land, as well as the Farah Rockschildren’s book series. She lives in Baltimore, where she teaches creative writing at Harford Community Collegeand the Johns Hopkins University. Her new novel, BEHIND YOU IS THE SEA, was published in January 2024 by HarperVia. It received praise from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Ms Magazine, and it was named a Best Book of 2024 by The New Yorker and Apple Books.
Praise for BEHIND YOU IS THE SEA:
"Draws a composite portrait of Palestinian American families with sensitivity and humor … breaking down stereotypes and embracing complexity." — New York Times
"A beautiful portrait of a family reaching for their dreams while holding onto their roots." — Publishers Weekly
"Neither angels nor devils, these characters are portrayed in all their complicated, charming, aggravating, bewitching glory. They are human, and as such, they are us." — Washington Post
"Darraj writes with great emotional resonance about hope and disappointment." — New Yorker
"A zoomed-in family drama that simultaneously captures wide-lens truths about cultural differences; the weight of history; and the myriad manifestations of love." — Elle
"A rich, complex, and moving immigrant story with a beautifully-rendered ensemble cast." — Literary Hub
"Lively and enlightening." — People