Usama Al Shahmani - Im Fallen lernt die Feder fliegen

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. It not only ended decades of dictatorship but also discouraged hope for a better future in Iraq. In his books, the Iraqi-Swiss author Usama Al Shahmani sensitively shows how these events have inscribed themselves in the lives of the people who fled violence and persecution.

Background

The Iraqi-Swiss author tells the story of Aida, a young woman who doesn’t feel at home in Switzerland nor in her parents' country of origin, Iraq.
Aida begins to write down what she cannot say. Born in an Iranian refugee camp, she came to Switzerland with her family. While the children go to school, their parents can't cope with everyday life in the West and increasingly glorify their homeland. Then the father decides to return to Iraq with the whole family. But when the older daughter is to be married off, the girls flee back to Switzerland. But the past still holds on to them.      

Panel

Usama Al Shahmani

was born in Baghdad in 1971 and studied the Arabic language and modern Arabic literature. He published three books on Arabic literature before he had to flee Iraq in 2002 because of a play and came to Switzerland. Usama Al Shahmani now works as an interpreter and cultural mediator and translates into Arabic. His first novel "In der Fremde sprechen die Bäume arabisch" (2018) won several awards. His most recent publication is "Der Vogel zweifeln nicht am Ort, zu dem er fliegt" (The bird does not doubt the place to which it flies), published in autumn 2022.

Tyma Kraitt

was born in Baghdad in 1984 and now lives in Austria, where she also grew up. She studied philosophy at the University of Vienna and has already published several books on Syria and Iraq as well as a large number of foreign policy texts as part of her publishing activities. She has also worked in adult education and is currently a parliamentary assistant to MP Muna Duzdar, focusing on media policy. Her most recent publication is the book "Sunniten gegen Schiiten. On the Construction of a Religious War." (Wagenbach)

Zeynep Alan

was born in Vienna in 1987 and received her acting training at the diverCITYLAB-AKADEMIE. She also studied political science at the University of Vienna. She participated in various projects within the framework of "WIR SIND WIEN.FESTIVAL DER BEZIRKE" and "Kulturherbst Neubau" as well as the WIENWOCHE 2016 in the project: Halay City Marathon.