Internationally acclaimed author Mohsin Hamid to speak at Connecticut College
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Bestselling author Mohsin Hamid will give a talk on his latest work, Exit West, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at Palmer Auditorium, followed by a book signing.
Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Hamid’s award-winning novels have been adapted for the cinema, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and translated into more than 30 languages. His essays and short stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker among others. Exit West was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Exit West explores various themes of immigration: deciding when it is time to leave, the heartache of leaving family behind and the experience of arriving in a new country that is not welcoming to immigrants. Readers follow the story of Saeed and Nadia, two young people who flee a country on the brink of civil war, who journey through Europe and settle in North America, each responding in different ways to their new surroundings. The book’s themes have significant relevance today, when approximately 68.5 million people around the world who have been forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
This event is a collaboration between One Book One Region of Eastern Connecticut (now in its 16th year) and Connecticut College. For the past three years, One Book One Region and Connecticut College have partnered to bring community members and the college community together to discuss ideas, broaden appreciation of reading and break down barriers among people. In addition to this year's selection of Exit West, previous summer read choices were Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
One Book One Region is made possible through a grant awarded to Connecticut College by Connecticut Humanities, a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities. Other partners include Connecticut College’s Office of the President, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Libraries of Eastern CT and Start Fresh New London. Bank Square Books arranged for the purchase of Exit West for the Class of 2022 and their advisers, and will have copies available for purchase at the book signing.
August 31, 2018
