City of Jasmine
Kuhusu kitabu hiki cha kusikiliza
A poignant story of three young adults trying to make a future for themselves in war-torn Damascus
When Hammoudi, a young surgeon based in Paris, returns to Syria to renew his passport, he only expects to stay there a few days. But the authorities refuse to let him leave, and Hammoudi finds himself caught up in the fight against the regime. Meanwhile, budding actress Amal has also joined the protests against the government and her own father, by whom she feels betrayed. Realizing that they will never again be safe in their homeland, Amal and her boyfriend Youssef decide to flee to Europe in a desperate bid to survive.
But the path to safety brings its own risks, and Amal and Youssef once again narrowly escape death when their overcrowded ship sinks. Eventually they reach Germany, but soon discover that in this new life—where they are perceived as nothing but refugees—their struggle is far from over.
City of Jasmine is an intimate and striking novel that offers real insight into the horrors and inhumanity of war, whilst also focusing on the humanity of the protagonists, marking Olga Grjasnowa as one of the most talented and admired young authors working in Germany today.
Kuhusu mwandishi
Olga Grjasnowa was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. Her debut novel, Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt (All Russians Love Birch Trees), was awarded the Klaus-Michael Kühne Prize and the Anna Seghers Prize. She lives with her family in Berlin.
Katy Derbyshire, originally from London, has lived in Berlin for over twenty years. Her translation of Clemens Meyer’s Bricks and Mortar was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2017. She occasionally teaches translation and also co-hosts a monthly translation lab and the bi-monthly Dead Ladies Show. Katy was recently awarded the Translator Prize of the Foundation for Art and Culture NRW for her translation and advocacy work.
Assaf Cohen is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. He has appeared in various plays, short films, and television shows. He grew up in Palo Alto and attended UC Berkeley where he earned a bachelor’s degree in integrative biology. He continued his classical training by earning a master of fine arts in acting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University under the instruction of legendary acting instructor William Esper.
