Palestinian-American author speaks at VCUarts Qatar

Award-winning Palestinian-American author, Hala Alyan gave a public talk at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) in the University’s atrium.Titled "Endurance and Solidarity Through Art", Alyan, a poet, clinical psychologist, and novelist, read selected poems and nonfiction pieces touching upon themes of resilience, identity, and heritage during the talk at the Qatar Foundation partner university.VCUarts Qatar dean Amir Berbić introduced Alyan to the audience."Hala has roots in Palestine and Syria. She has lived in Kuwait, Lebanon, the UAE, Oklahoma, Texas, Maine, among other places. Much of her writing reflects and explores notions of displacement, relationships to home and culture, or family. We invited her to speak to us in the context of the tragic ongoing situation in Gaza and the impact it has had on us,” he said.Delving into the pivotal role of art in fortifying both personal capacity and solidarity, Alyan also discussed strategies for building endurance during this time. The talk was followed by a highly engaging question-and-answer session led by dean Berbić.To the question "What is home in the context of displacement? What is the emotional impact of losing your home?”, Alyan answered, "I think there is an inalienable rift that happens when you’re forced to engage in a migration that is not of your choice. When you’re told you no longer belong here; you need to leave, you cannot come back, I think there’s something that happens, and I see that emotional pain a lot in all diaspora communities – not just Palestinians – where people experience longing for home.”She also spoke about the positive and negative impacts of having a hybrid or dual identity, for instance, as a Palestinian American or a British citizen of Indian descent.Alyan is the author of the novel ‘Salt Houses’, winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award and a finalist for the Chautauqua Prize. Her latest novel, ‘The Arsonists’ City’, was a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. She is also the author of four award-winning poetry collections, most recently ’The Twenty-Ninth Year’.