KFPL celebrates World Refugee Day with author Maryam Rafiee

In honour of World Refugee Day (June 20), the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) is hosting Author Maryam Rafiee on Saturday, Jun. 22, 2019.

Rafiee has written about her experiences attempting to communicate with her father during his imprisonment in Iran. Her book, Dear Baba, shares Rafiee’s letters she was unable to share with her father. The letters reveal suffering undergone by prisoners and their families, as well as their struggles to retain hope during a desolate time.

“The library was approached by the speaker, Maryam Rafiee, a few months ago to propose a talk related to her book,” says Jake Miller, Programming and Outreach Librarian at KFPL. “The Central branch’s reopening and a number of other events forced us to pick an early summer date, which coincidentally landed near the International Day of the Refugee. The contents of the book are centered on Maryam’s correspondence with her father while in prison in Iran, and how families are separated by oppressive regimes and geopolitical instability. The world is seeing a corrosion of democratic institutions, and Maryam’s book demonstrates the implications of this on a personal level. Kingston is a city that loves writers, and Maryam is an Ontario writer who will contribute to the growing body of literature related to the Canadian newcomer experience.”

This free, drop in event will be a heartfelt session with Maryam. Open to teens and adults on a drop-in basis, the event takes place on Saturday July 22, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Central Branch of KFPL (130 Johnson Street).

“The talk will appeal to adults and teens interested in the diverse experiences of newcomers, newcomers themselves, and those interested in the precarious Canadian relationship with non-democratic governments,” Miller said.

Read more about this and other Library events on the KFPL event page.

Jessica is a busy working mom and writer who enjoys covering local interest stories, and creating content for her own website A Modern Mom’s Life.  She loves living, working, and playing in Kingston.  You can see what she gets up to with her family on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!