Join Saleem Haddad to discuss his debut novel “Guapa” and the themes that emerge from its story of Rasa, a young gay man coming of age in the Middle East.
Saleem Haddad’s novel is set in an unnamed Arab country. Rasa is a young man trying to carve out a life for himself in the midst of social and political upheaval, working as a translator and pining for the nights he can spend with his lover. When his grandmother catches them in bed together one evening, shame overwhelms Rasa. At the same time his friend Maj, a fiery activist and drag queen has been arrested. As Rasa confronts the simultaneous collapse pf political hopes along with his closest personal relationships, he is forced to discover the roots of his alienation and try to re-emerge in a society that may never accept him.
Beautifully written, “Guapa” raises important questions on home, family, nation and personal identity – this will be an evening of fascinating discussions, that’s for sure!
£3 tickets (redeemable against purchase of a signed copy of the book) are available in-store, by telephone 020 7851 2400 or by email: piccadilly@waterstones.com
