“The Baghdad Eucharist” tells the heartbreaking tale of a Christian family in Iraq who must navigate through the ups and downs of life, political upheaval, religious strife and war. Sinan Antoon, a well-known novelist and translator and an award-winning poet, has written four previous novels and two collections of poetry. This novel was first published in Arabic in 2012 and was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2013. It has now been translated by Maia Tabet, a journalist and translator.
Antoon first introduces the reader to Maha and Uncle Youssef while they are embroiled in a heated argument. Maha accuses Youssef of “living in the past” and Youssef struggles with the harsh truth as he moves forward.
Youssef is in his seventies and tends to live in the past as much of his life has passed. Maha, in her twenties, has only known war and struggle, unlike Youssef who has witnessed life before the wars and strife. He himself admits that he holds the past hostage within his house — in picture frames and mementos — so that he never forgets that there once was a time when life in Iraq was not tragic, not reduced to “car bombs, brutality and horror.”
Within the confines of Uncle Youssef’s house is the entire life of a family who has lived happily and healthily, worshipping at the Chaldean Catholic Church, supporting each other through happiness and pain. Youssef is the only remaining sibling in Iraq, much to the dismay of his brothers and sisters. Hailing from a large family, Youssef is uninterested in leaving his home, the only place that holds the memories that he cherishes so deeply. Having recently lost his older sister, Hinna, he is now inclined to continue to live in his family home, despite the fact that he only has one friend left in the world and most of his family live abroad.
Antoon’s book reveals a narrative not often visited — one of an Iraqi Christian family who are as much a part of Iraq as its palm trees. They have been devastated by Iraqi politics and war and laying their claim to Iraq has become much more difficult than it once was. They drown in words such as “infidel” and are under suspicion for being American sympathizers because of their religion. However, Youssef knows that “Iraq belongs to everyone.”
Antoon masterfully explores the opinions and perspectives of different generations in this book. The book is a moving account of a family that may now be gone but whose memories live on. Antoon’s love for Iraq is shown through his characters, their demeanor, their arguments and their insights.
His book moves through the early half of the 20th century to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and beyond. War is ever-present, for example, Youssef first meets Maha in the basement of a supermarket as American fighter jets “pounded Baghdad so hard that the earth shook” during the Gulf War in 1991. She is an inconsolable child in her mother’s arms and Youssef walks around with his transistor radio listening to the news. Youssef manages to ease Maha’s fear but the tragedy is not over yet. War will continue throughout their lives and it is up to them to ease their own pain.
The horrors of war and dictatorship are not lost on the family. As Maha says, “all I want is to live with dignity and to be treated like a human being.”
Antoon’s story is told through photographs and memories, people and places imprinted on the fabric of time. Like the date palms that Youssef loves so much, Antoon’s characters have embedded themselves into the soil of Iraq and taken root. Their stubborn desire to live through difficult times is painful but courageous.
The story of Iraq cannot be told without tragedy and strife. It is a country that has been drowning in political turmoil for decades but its residents have lived through it and continue to do so. Even generations who have moved on, who have grown up elsewhere, remember their roots and the origin of their stories. This book tells a painful story, but it is also hopeful. Youssef’s hope for Maha, that “her wounds would heal and she would retain only what was best,” also mirrors what many Iraqis wish for their homeland.
Book Review: The powerful story of a Christian family in Iraq
Book Review: The powerful story of a Christian family in Iraq
What We Are Reading Today: Henry V by Dan Jones
In 1413, when Henry V ascended to the English throne, his kingdom was hopelessly torn apart by political faction but in less than ten years, he turns it all around. By common consensus in his day, and for hundreds of years afterward, Henry was the greatest medieval king that ever lived.
A historical titan, Henry V transcends the Middle Ages which produced him, and his life story has much to teach us today.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Following the Bend’ by Ellen Wohl
When we look at a river, either up close or while flying over a river valley, what are we really seeing?
“Following the Bend” takes readers on a majestic journey by water to find answers, along the way shedding light on the key concepts of modern river science, from hydrology and water chemistry to stream and wetland ecology.
In this accessible and uniquely personal book, Ellen Wohl explains how to “read” a river, blending the latest science with her own personal experiences as a geologist and naturalist who has worked on rivers for more than three decades.
UK writer Samantha Harvey wins 2024 Booker with space novel
- The prize is seen as a talent spotter of names not necessarily widely known to the general public
LONDON: British writer Samantha Harvey on Tuesday won the 2024 Booker Prize, a prestigious English-language literary award, for her novel tracking six astronauts in space for 24 hours.
Harvey’s “Orbital” follows two men and four women from Japan, Russia, the United States, Britain and Italy aboard the International Space Station and touches on mourning, desire and the climate crisis.
The 49-year-old Harvey previously made the longlist for the Booker Prize in 2009 with her debut novel “The Wilderness.”
Harvey dedicated the prize to “all the people who speak for and not against the earth and work for and not against peace.”
Chair of the judges, Edmund de Waal, said “everyone and no one is the subject” of the novel, “as six astronauts in the International Space Station circle the earth observing the passages of weather across the fragility of borders and time zones.”
“With her language of lyricism and acuity Harvey makes our world strange and new for us.”
A record five women were in the running for the £50,000 ($64,500) prize which was announced at a glitzy ceremony in London.
Previous winners include Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood.
The prize is seen as a talent spotter of names not necessarily widely known to the general public.
The Booker is open to works of fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dragonflies and Damselflies of the World’ by Klass-Douwe B. Dijkstra
Airily dancing over rivers and ponds, the thousands of colorful dragonfly and damselfly species that cohabit our planet may seem of little importance.
Few life-forms, however, convey the condition of the most limiting resource on land and life’s most bountiful environment as well as they can: While the adults are exceptional aerial hunters, their nymphs are all confined to freshwater.
“Dragonflies and Damselflies of the World” showcases their beauty and diversity while shedding light on how they evolved into the vital symbols of planetary health we celebrate today.
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature announces 2025 lineup
DUBAI: The Emirates Literature Foundation has revealed the speaker lineup and programme details for the upcoming Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2025, officially marking the countdown to the 17th edition of the event. Set to take place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, 2025 at the newly renovated InterContinental Dubai Festival City, the LitFest will offer attendees over 150 incomparable experiences, including fan-favourites: Desert Stanzas, LitFest After Hours, Discovery Talks, and the LitFest Families programme.
Leading the list of authors is US-Indian writer and Stanford University professor Abraham Verghese, author of “The Covenant of Water,” which rose to fame when it was chosen for Oprah Winfrey’s book club.
Other anticipated names include Emmy Award-winning journalist Hala Gorani, the best-selling author and illustrator of the wildly popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series Jeff Kinney, multi-talented author and screenwriter Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket, creator of “A Series of Unfortunate Events”), Booker Prize-nominated author Chigozie Obioma, best-selling travel writer and author Dr Mohamed Mansi Qandil, scholar and researcher Abdel Illah Benarafa, Cultural Personality of the Year Waciny Laredj, poet and author Khalid Albudoor, and celebrated Palestinian chef and cookbook author Fadi Kattan.
Closer to home, Saudi author Faisal J. Abbas will talk about his new book, “Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile,” a witty and thoughtful take on what it is like being an Arab in London.
“As we navigate a world of uncertainty and change, the Emirates LitFest serves as a vital platform for dialogue, understanding, and reflection,” said Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of Emirates Literature Foundation, Director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and Managing Director of ELF Publishing.
“Global conversations around identity and culture have never been more crucial, and we are honoured to welcome literary icons from across the globe whose works speak to the heart of these issues. Through our Festival’s dynamic programme, sessions that are set to inspire future generations and events that celebrate our shared experiences, we are building a community based on empathy and understanding. Now, more than ever, we need stories that connect us to our shared humanity, and the Emirates LitFest is where those stories happen” she added.
Dubai Culture is sponsoring this year’s Emirati Strand, which celebrates the culture of the UAE and provides an opportunity for Emirati and international authors to grace the Emirates LitFest stage together. The Emirati Strand features a diverse range of experiences and a distinguished line-up of Emirati writers including poet Adel Khozam, Dr Noura Alkarbi, artist Asmaa Al-Remithi, poet Ali Al-Shaali, author and scholar Salha Ghabish, author and trainer Hamdan Bin Shfayan Alameri, author Nadia Al Najjar, filmmaker Nahla Al Fahad, and many more.
“With everything going on in the world, now more than ever, we need stories. We need human connection. We need to come together in the ‘sanctuary of dreams’ … which the festival offers,” Tamreez Inam, head of programming, told Arab News.
“The festival welcomes people who want to dream and imagine a world that celebrates our shared humanity and offers a place where people can tell their own stories, find themselves in other stories and connect at that very human level. And I think that’s why the 2025 festival is so important; it’s needed more than ever now,” she added.
Dania Droubi, the festival’s chief operating officer, revealed that the event will also host an international youth program.
“We have 150 university students from around the world coming to participate in our program, and they are going to be here in Dubai,” she said.
“They’re all students who speak Arabic and who study Arabic. They are going to be here to meet with another 150 from the UAE-based universities, and they’re here to attend and see the authors and the speakers … and just participate in these discussions, because the youth are the future.”
For information on the full programme and tickets, visit https://emirateslitfest.com.
