Join us at Owl's Nest Books on April 25, 2024, at 7:00 pm for an evening of reading and discussion with author Dr. Sharifa Sharifa for the re-release of her memoir, On the Edge of Being: An Afghan Woman's Journey. Moderating the discussion will be Melissa Bottoms from Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan). After, you will get the chance to grab your own copy of the book and have it signed by Sharifa.
TIME: April 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm (doors open @ 6:30 pm)
PLACE: Owl’s Nest Books, 815a 49 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 1G8 (free parking is available at the rear of the plaza. Street parking is free after 6:00 pm).
FREE ENTRY
*(Walk-Ins are still welcome if you are unable to RSVP)
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About the book:
The world that Afghan women inhabit in this memoir illuminates the split between body and voice — a split that has wrought a devastating impact on the women of Afghanistan. The daughter of a progressive Afghan governor, Sharifa Sharif navigates the complexities and gritty realities of being a woman in Afghan society, candidly connecting her own troubling experiences with those of girls and women around her.
First published in 2011, On the Edge of Being is more pertinent than ever as girls in Afghanistan continue to survive against all odds. In her new prologue, Sharifa reminds her readers that the people of Afghanistan are paying the price — no matter which government, ideology, or side is at fault.
About the author:
Dr. Sharifa Sharif was born and raised in Afghanistan, where she and her family lived in many urban and rural areas. Dr. Sharif studied Pashto Literature at the University of Kabul and, later, Comparative Literature at University of Illinois, in the United States, where she became immersed in issues of feminism, justice and freedom. Since then, she has become a dual Afghan-Canadian citizen and has worked as a writer and teacher at Seneca and Centennial College. She has also worked as a counselor for abused women, a cultural advisor, a radio host, and a politician. Living in the Greater Toronto Area since 1991, Dr. Sharif works as a community activist and cultural advisor on Afghanistan. As an author, Dr. Sharif continues to produce original work, and has recently published a collection of short stories in Pashto called Chaa w Chaa Weyel, meaning ‘So and So was Saying,” a line from a regional song in Pashto. This collection has been well received by young women inside the country and launched online in September 2023. She is currently working on another book of short stories in English which mostly tells stories of women’s resilience and defying migration inside the family and outside in a larger society, both in the country and in exile.