Award-Winning Writer-in-Residence at GU-Q Credits 'Literary Meandering' for Success at Qalam Event
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) was pleased to host a special Qalam event featuring Kamila Shamsie, the university's Writer-in-Residence, in conversation with Zahra Babar, Executive Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS). This unique discussion brought together two distinguished voices whose work challenges conventional narratives and provokes meaningful dialogue on some of the most pressing issues of our time.Kamila Shamsie, an award-winning novelist known for Home Fire, Burnt Shadows, and Best of Friends, has spent her literary career exploring themes of exile, identity, and political responsibility. Zahra Babar, a respected scholar and researcher, has extensively studied migration, citizenship, and social transformation in the Gulf region. The intersection of their work—fiction and scholarship—provided a compelling conversation about the ways in which storytelling in all its forms, shapes our understanding of belonging, memory, and identity.In his introduction to the event, Dean Safwan Masri thanked Shamsie for enriching campus life through her engagement with students and her Qalam Series of interviews with award winning authors. Highlighting the intersection of her work with the university's international affairs focus, he said: 'She is a writer whose stories traverse continents with the characters within them and whose words lay bare the fault lines that shape our modern world. But Kamila is not only a storyteller; she is also an advocate for literature's place in public discourse. She has written fearlessly on the responsibilities of writers in politically volatile times.' The conversation between Shamsie and Babar ranged from discussing the writing process to the role of historical research in fiction, to advice on self-reflection and reinvention. The result was a thoughtful exchange between two extraordinary women, each committed to examining the forces that shape our world, and unafraid to upend conventional wisdom to forge their own paths. Throughout the evening, Shamsie drew from her experience of writing eight novels to encourage the audience to establish a practice of writing, even if they don't have a clear plan of what to write. 'In the course of the meandering, you discover what the book should really be,' she said, adding that 'the joy is in the process itself…the not knowing feels very exciting.' She also advised that writing what you know 'can mean learning new things,' emphasizing that success as a writer comes from persistence. 'You show me one professional novelist who is waiting for inspiration to strike and I will show you a liar,' she said, adding 'If I had to give one piece of advice to writers, it would be to get to the end of your first draft. So many of the very best writers you will never read because they never published.'Shamsie's reflections further offered insight on personal reinvention. 'We tell ourselves stories about ourselves and then we can get trapped within the stories we're telling… and because you've decided you are this kind of person you behave in this kind of way, and one day you might notice no, I was that kind of person,' she said, encouraging the audience to give themselves permission to become the kind of person who can do great things.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, GU-Q is committed to educating the next generation of thinkers and doers capable of transforming the world for the better.
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Al Bawaba
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Georgetown Qatar Closes 'Qalam' Author Series with Powerful Reflections on Grief, Memory, and Love
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) concluded its year-long Qalam literary series with a moving conversation featuring acclaimed author and academic Sonali Deraniyagala. The event marked a rare public appearance by Deraniyagala, whose searing memoir Wave has been hailed as one of the most powerful accounts of grief and survival in contemporary literature. Deraniyagala was joined in conversation by GU-Q's Writer-in-Residence, the award-winning novelist Kamila Shamsie. Together, they explored the devastating loss at the heart of Wave, the writing process that allowed Deraniyagala to confront memory, and the enduring presence of love in the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy. Wave, which won the PEN Ackerley Prize and was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award, begins in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which engulfed Deraniyagala's family while they were vacationing in Sri Lanka, causing the deaths of her parents, husband, and sons. Speaking to a captivated audience, Deraniyagala reflected on how the book began not as a literary project but as a private exercise in making sense of the incomprehensible. 'It was important for me to learn to hold my nerve with the remembering,' she shared. 'What I learned–of course you are terrified of memory–but most of my memories were actually full of joy, so once you get through that pain, you are in a very good place.' Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Deraniyagala holds a PhD in economics from the University of Oxford and currently teaches at both SOAS University of London and Columbia University. In recent years her work has turned to the economics of disasters. Her rare appearance at GU-Q offered students, faculty, and members of the public an intimate glimpse into the relationship between storytelling and moving past trauma. Kamila Shamsie guided the conversation with empathy and insight, drawing connections between memory, survival, and how language can both shield and expose writers and their readers. A Year of Fostering Love of Literature In his introduction, Dean Safwan Masri, who established the Writer-in-Residence program in 2024, thanked Shamsie for her service as the program's inaugural author. 'Over the past year, Qalam has brought us together with some of the most celebrated voices in literature from the Global South,' he said, adding: 'It has been a privilege to share these evenings of literature and dialogue with you.' As GU-Q celebrates its 20th anniversary in Qatar, the evening was a poignant reminder of literature's power to bear witness and to connect. Past Qalam Series Events Abdulrazaq Gurnah Hisham Matar Ahdaf Soueif Omar El Akkad Kamila Shamsie
Al Bawaba
25-02-2025
- Al Bawaba
Award-Winning Writer-in-Residence at GU-Q Credits 'Literary Meandering' for Success at Qalam Event
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) was pleased to host a special Qalam event featuring Kamila Shamsie, the university's Writer-in-Residence, in conversation with Zahra Babar, Executive Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS). This unique discussion brought together two distinguished voices whose work challenges conventional narratives and provokes meaningful dialogue on some of the most pressing issues of our Shamsie, an award-winning novelist known for Home Fire, Burnt Shadows, and Best of Friends, has spent her literary career exploring themes of exile, identity, and political responsibility. Zahra Babar, a respected scholar and researcher, has extensively studied migration, citizenship, and social transformation in the Gulf region. The intersection of their work—fiction and scholarship—provided a compelling conversation about the ways in which storytelling in all its forms, shapes our understanding of belonging, memory, and his introduction to the event, Dean Safwan Masri thanked Shamsie for enriching campus life through her engagement with students and her Qalam Series of interviews with award winning authors. Highlighting the intersection of her work with the university's international affairs focus, he said: 'She is a writer whose stories traverse continents with the characters within them and whose words lay bare the fault lines that shape our modern world. But Kamila is not only a storyteller; she is also an advocate for literature's place in public discourse. She has written fearlessly on the responsibilities of writers in politically volatile times.' The conversation between Shamsie and Babar ranged from discussing the writing process to the role of historical research in fiction, to advice on self-reflection and reinvention. The result was a thoughtful exchange between two extraordinary women, each committed to examining the forces that shape our world, and unafraid to upend conventional wisdom to forge their own paths. Throughout the evening, Shamsie drew from her experience of writing eight novels to encourage the audience to establish a practice of writing, even if they don't have a clear plan of what to write. 'In the course of the meandering, you discover what the book should really be,' she said, adding that 'the joy is in the process itself…the not knowing feels very exciting.' She also advised that writing what you know 'can mean learning new things,' emphasizing that success as a writer comes from persistence. 'You show me one professional novelist who is waiting for inspiration to strike and I will show you a liar,' she said, adding 'If I had to give one piece of advice to writers, it would be to get to the end of your first draft. So many of the very best writers you will never read because they never published.'Shamsie's reflections further offered insight on personal reinvention. 'We tell ourselves stories about ourselves and then we can get trapped within the stories we're telling… and because you've decided you are this kind of person you behave in this kind of way, and one day you might notice no, I was that kind of person,' she said, encouraging the audience to give themselves permission to become the kind of person who can do great things. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, GU-Q is committed to educating the next generation of thinkers and doers capable of transforming the world for the better.
Al Bawaba
09-02-2025
- Al Bawaba
Renowned Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad Headline GU-Q's Celebration of Black Storytelling
In celebration of the contributions of Black intellectuals and artists around the world, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) invites the community to a series of events including its inaugural 'Black Literary Arts Festival,' the first festival of its kind in the region. This dynamic series of events throughout February, known as Black History Month in the United States, will highlight the power of Black storytelling through film screenings, author talks, masterclasses, children's activities, theatrical performances, and panel to festival co-chair Jamillah Scott-Branch, Director of the GU-Q Library, 'Our vision is to create a space for meaningful dialogue about the craft and experiences of Black writers and storytellers from across the African diaspora, and draw attention to the vital importance of Black voices in contemporary discourse. Through these events, the university reaffirms its commitment to amplifying diverse perspectives and fostering conversations that inspire change.'Key Events:Film Screenings (February 9, 2025)The month begins with African American Cinema featuring screenings of Killer of Sheep and Residue, followed by discussions led by Richard Peña, visiting professor at GU-Q and acclaimed film scholar and organizer of the New York Film Literary Arts Festival (February 10-15, 2025)The heart of GU-Q's Black History Month programming, the 'Black Literary Arts Festival: Ink & Impact – The Literary Labor of Black Storytellers,' will feature an impressive lineup of renowned authors, scholars, and artists who have shaped contemporary literature and thought. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project , and celebrated Olympic medalist and author Ibtihaj Muhammad will be among the featured include children's storytime and activities, book signings, masterclasses, a performance night, and insightful discussions on the impact of Black storytelling across cultures. Speakers include:Nikole Hannah-Jones – Creator of The 1619 Project, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and award-winning Muhammad – Olympic medalist, activist, and author of Angela Davis – Cultural critic, executive producer of The Hair Tales, and co-author of The Meaning of Mariah L. Swarns – New York Times journalist and author of The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Chika Unigwe – Award-winning Nigerian author of The Middle Daughter, and professor of creative Bah Thibault – Acclaimed journalist and television Folarin – Nigerian-American writer, Rhodes Scholar, and author of A Particular Kind of Black Maurice Jackson – Historian, jazz scholar, and author of Rhythms of Resistance and Anita Gonzalez – Professor of performing arts and co-founder of Georgetown's Racial Justice Institute, author of Shipping Out: Race, Performance, and Labor at Stephan Buoro – Research fellow and author of The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Su'ad Abdul Khabeer – Scholar-artist-activist, author of Muslim Cool: Race, Religion and Hip Hop in the United States, and creator of Umi's Archive. Dr. Theri A. Pickens – Poet-scholar specializing in Arab American Studies and Black Studies, author of What Had Happened Was. Theatrical Performance – Here I Am (February 19, 2025)Mélisande Short-Colomb's acclaimed one-person play will be staged for the first time outside the United States. An original production from Georgetown University's Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, 'Here I Am' is a deeply personal exploration of history, identity, and the legacy of slavery at Georgetown. To learn more about these events and to register, visit About Georgetown University in Qatar GU-Q is committed to excellence in education, research, and engagement with global issues. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, GU-Q continues to be a hub for intellectual and cultural dialogue in the region. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba ( Signal PressWire is the world's largest independent Middle East PR distribution service.
