Born in Washington to Syrian and French parents who emigrated from Aleppo in the 1960s, and having lived in places such as Paris and Algeria, home and belonging are recurring themes for Hala, who has reported from every country in the Middle East. Yet despite her heritage, she is often labeled a “foreigner” due to having blonde hair and blue eyes. At the festival, she will speak about her forthcoming memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab, which was released last year and explores her family history, career, and questions that continue to shape her identity.
February 1, 12pm-1pm. Book tickets here.
Emma Dabiri: Disobedient Bodies
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Challenging the status quo is ingrained into the ethos of Irish writer and broadcaster, Emma Dabiri. Her debut book, Don’t Touch my Hair traces her heritage and her following release, What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship To Coalition delves deeper into the conversation about race, presenting a manifesto for radical change. In Dubai, Dabiri will discuss her latest book, Disobedient Bodies — an empowering essay that urges women to reclaim their “unruly” beauty at a time when social media and surgical procedures pressure women to conform to certain beauty standards deemed “conventional.” If you’ve been yearning to break free of the cycles of consumerism and competition that dictate how we look, this is a session that will speak to your soul.
