Join Nathan Thrall live in London to hear a gripping, intimate story of one heartbreaking day in Palestine and a masterful, epic portrait of life on both sides of Israel’s separation wall.
‘One of the best-informed and most trenchant observers’ of Israel/Palestine (Financial Times), Nathan Thrall has been hailed for his clear-eyed international reporting, which has been cited in the UN Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council, as well as in reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
His new book, a work of narrative non-fiction, tells the story of Milad, a five year old excited for his school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem. But tragedy awaits: his bus is involved in a horrific accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the chaotic site, only to find Milad has already been taken away. Abed sets off on a journey to learn Milad’s fate, navigating a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian.
Interwoven with Abed’s odyssey are the stories of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and pasts unexpectedly converge: a kindergarten teacher and a mechanic who rescue children from the burning bus; an Israeli army commander and a Palestinian official who confront the aftermath at the scene of the crash; a settler paramedic; and two mothers who each hope to claim one severely injured boy.
Chaired by Ahdaf Soueif, Nathan will be in conversation with Saleh Hijazi.