ANZAC Day Closed

We can learn a lot about the world by reading about the experiences of those who have lived or visited there. This week we bring to you a range of stories from people who were born in, lived in or travelled in another part of the world, with their personal experiences shaping the story they share with readers.

Manal al-Sharif, the second daughter of a taxi driver, was born and raised in Mecca. In her early twenties working as a computer security engineer, she was judged for chatting with her male colleagues and while she owned a car, was forbidden from driving in on Saudi streets. In “Daring to drive” Manal shares her story of leading the movement to lift the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia.

“Danger music” is a story that spans many countries and two genders. As an 8-year old girl Emma Ayres learned to play violin, then went on to study viola in Manchester, Berlin and London. She performed professionally in the UK and Hong Kong before moving to Australia in 2003. By 2014 Emma, depressed and struggling with her gender, travelled to Afghanistan to teach cello to orphans and street children. As we read about the chaotic life of Afghani children we also embark on a journey as Emma transitions to Eddie shortly before his fiftieth birthday.

Alia Malek takes us to another war zone in her memoir of Syria “The home that was our country”. She was born in the United States to Syrian immigrant parents, trained as an attorney and then studied journalism before moving to Syria to write anonymously for a number of publications. Malek tells the story of Syria’s disintegration through the stories of the residents in her building in Damascus, weaving personal stories into an insight into Syria’s politics, history and society.

In “Travelling with ghosts” American Marine Biologist Shannon Leone Fowler writes about her solo travels as she deals with the tragic death of her fiancé in Thailand. The book chronicles her visit to places like Auschwitz, Israel and Sarajevo, contemplating death while she learns to live with her loss and begin to live again.

Our next title is the story of Ian Buruma who arrives in Tokyo with his Japanese girlfriend in 1975 as a young Dutch film student. In “A Tokyo romance” he writes not only about his encounters with theatre, carnival acts and photography but also of those with both men and women as he explored his sexuality. Follow Buruma’s journey as he immerses himself into Japanese culture giving a colourful account of 1970s life in Tokyo.

These five titles are just a small selection of the wonderful new titles that will soon be on the shelves in our People and Places section. Learn about another part of the world through the eyes of someone who has lived or spent some time there.