Join us at Palestine House in London for the launch of Sabrin Hasbun’s new book, Crossing: A love story between Italy and Palestine, winner of the inaugural Footnote X Counterpoints Writing Prize.
Sabrin will be in conversation with Hazem Jamjoum, a Palestinian educator, translator and editor.
A beautiful and compelling family memoir, Crossing retraces the love story between Sabrin Hasbun’s Palestinian father and Italian mother, and the life of her half-Italian, half-Palestinian family from the 1960s to 2020. After the loss of her mother, Sabrin tries to renegotiate her mixed identity and understand her mother’s choices which led her from an oppressive childhood in a village in Tuscany to finding love and community activism in Palestine.
‘Vivid, compassionate, captivating, Sabrin’s writing is both deeply rooted in place and culture, and transcending borders in its universality and humanity.’
– Elif Shafak
This is a story about overcoming grief and what it means to lose not only loved ones, but also a place in the world and a sense of belonging.
‘Sabrin’s writing is captivating, drawing us warmly into a world that is both different and familiar, that we want to know about. A special and original voice, one for our times.’
– Philippe Sands
‘A moving and tender story about love and identity, and a meditation on the people who make us who we are.’
– Dina Nayeri
About the author:
Sabrin Hasbun was born in Palestine, spent her childhood in Palestine and Italy, and now lives in the UK. She holds a PHD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and lectures in Creative Writing at Cardiff Met University.
The £15,000 Footnote X Counteproints Writing Prize includes an advance of £5,000 and a publication agreement with Footnote Press. The prize, which recognises narrative non-fiction centred around themes of displacement, identity or resistance, was developed in association with the Southbank Centre, and is supported by the John Ellerman Foundation, Doughty Street Chambers, Spread the Word and The Bookseller.
For further info please contact Hope Ndaba on hope.ndaba@bonnierbooks.co.uk
