TPFF is proud to host author Isabella Hammad and the Toronto launch of her critically acclaimed second novel Enter Ghost. This novel follows her award-winning debut The Parisian (2019), which is set in Nablus, Palestine in the turbulent era of the early 20th century. In Enter Ghost, Hammad’s protagonist Sonia, a British-Palestinian actress, returns to Haifa after her tumultuous relationship ends. Her original plan is to spend time with her sister Haneen and rejuvenate in this coastal city. Instead, she is coxed into performing in a production of “Hamlet” in the West Bank – a decision that leads to a painful political awakening.
The discussion will be moderated by critically acclaimed author Saeed Teebi (Her First Palestinian). Following our conversation with Isabella Hammad, she will be signing copies of her books. Please order your copy of the book in advance using the registration link.
This is event is organized jointly with our literary partners Another Story Book Shop.
Isabella Hammad
Isabella Hammad was born in London. Her writing has appeared in the Paris Review, the New York Times, Conjunctions, and elsewhere. She was awarded the 2018 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a 2019 O. Henry Prize. Her first novel The Parisian (2019) won a Palestine Book Award, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Betty Trask Award from the Society of Authors in the UK. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree, and has received literary fellowships from MacDowell, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and the Columbia University Institute for Ideas and Imagination.
Awards
She was awarded the Plimpton Prize for Fiction, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Palestine Book Award and a Betty Trask Award. She has received fellowships from MacDowell, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lannan Foundation.
saeED TEEBI
Saaed Teebi is a writer and lawyer based in Toronto. His story "Her First Palestinian" was shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. He was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait and, after spending time in Connecticut and California, has lived in Canada since 1993.
