Event overview
Eritrean born journalist, author and commentator Hannah Azieb Pool will read from her first book, My Father's Daughter, followed by a Q & A with the audience.
My Fathers' Daughter: Synopsis
Hannah writes, "For the first twenty years of my life this is what I knew about my background: I was born in Eritrea a tiny country on the north-east coast of Africa. My mother died in childbirth, my father soon afterwards, I was placed in an orphanage in Asmara, the capital, by a distant relative, or perhaps a neighbour. That’s it. The sum total of my family knowledge. Six months later I was adopted by a British academic and that’s how I ended up growing up in a white family in Manchester. And then one day, when I was a student in Liverpool, I received a letter with an Eritrean postmark. It was from my brother in Asmara, the one I never knew I had."
About Hannah Pool:
Eritrean-born journalist, author and commentator Hannah Azieb Pool writes regularly in the national and international media. Hannah is also a Senior Programmer of Contemporary Culture at The Southbank Centre, London, UK.
Hannah has written features, interviews and comment for the Guardian for over a decade. Hannah’s work also appears in The Times, The Sunday Times, Vogue. Grazia, The Independent, and others.
As Senior Programmer, Contemporary Culture at the Southbank centre, Hannah is a curator of the talks and debates at the Women of the World (WOW) and Africa Utopia festivals.
Hannah’s book, My Fathers’ Daughter: A story of family and belonging is a memoir of her journey back to Eritrea to find her birth family. Published in the UK (Penguin), the US (Free Press), France, and Holland to critical acclaim, My Fathers’ Daughter was described by the Washington Post as “a significant and moving book.”
A regular contributor to BBC Radio, a speaker at TedXEuston, Africa Writes and Africa Gathering, Hannah was the subject of CNN’s African Voices. Hannah’s next book, Fashion Cities Africa was released internationally in May 2016 - 'Now, with Fashion Cities Africa, Pool aims to correct the misconceptions about African fashion, providing key context for contemporary African fashion scenes and capturing the depth and breadth of truly African fashion.'
Q & A:
The Q & A will be chaired by Dr. Perlita Harris, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Goldsmiths.
This event is supported by the Goldsmiths Annual Fund.It is the first of three events providing critical perspectives on adoption. The second event on Tuesday 30 May 2pm - 4pm is: Loss, Grief and the Long-Term Impact of Losing a Baby to Adoption: The experience of mothers of past adoptions. The third event (date in October tbc) is a screening of Adopted-ID about Haitian adopted adult Judith Craig Morency, followed by a Q & A with Judith Craig Morency.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 23 May 2017 | 4:30pm - 6:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
