Feb 28: Presenting Susan Darraj and Anan Zahr
On Friday February 28, 2020, Al-Bustan is pleased to present two Palestinian women at our hub in West Philadelphia!
READING & BOOK SIGNING: “FARAH ROCKS FIFTH GRADE”
Join author Susan Muaddi Darraj for a reading and book signing of her latest book Farrah Rocks Fifth Grade. Darraj is a winner of the 2016 American Book Award and 2018 Ford Foundation Fellowship.
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Location: 3645 Lancaster Avenue, West Philadelphia
Admission: FREE
MEZZE & LITERATURE
Enjoy an evening tasting Palestinian cuisine by Chef Anan Zahr and conversation with Author Susan Muaddi Darraj.
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Location: 3645 Lancaster Avenue, West Philadelphia
Admission: $20 | REGISTER HERE
Susan Muaddi Darraj
Susan Muaddi Darraj is Associate Professor of English at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland. A 2018 USA Ford Fellow, Susan is also a Lecturer in the Johns Hopkins University’s MA in Writing program and a faculty member in Fairfield University‘s MFA program.Susan Muaddi Darraj’s short story collection, A Curious Land: Stories from Home, was named the winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, judged by Jaime Manrique. It also won the 2016 Arab American Book Award, a 2016 American Book Award, and was shortlisted for a Palestine Book Award. Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was published in 2007 by University of Notre Dame Press.In 2018, she was named a 2018 Ford Fellow by USA Artists. Susan also is a two-time recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. She has also been awarded a Ruby’s Artist Grant from the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and a grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation.In 2019, she launched the viral #TweetYourThobe social media campaign to promote Palestinian culture. Later that year, she was named winner of the Rose Nader Award, by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), an award given by the Nader family to a person who “demonstrates an unwavering dedication and commitment to values of equality and justice.”In January 2020, Capstone Books launched her debut children’s chapter book series, Farah Rocks, about a smart, brave Palestinian American girl named Farah Hajjar.
Anan Zahr
Born in Akka, Anan Jardali Zahr is a Palestinian American living in the US since the age of 11. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley’s Department of Near Eastern Studies and attended Graduate School at West Chester University in the Department of Education. Anan worked as an Arabic Language Instructor and owned and operated a Mediterranean restaurant in Wilmington, DE for five years. As a long-time resident of the Philadelphia area, Anan is a dedicated community activist involved with a number of national and local organizations.