The Book Collectors of Daraya

A Band of Syrian Rebels, Their Underground Library, and the Stories that Carried Them Through a War

The Book Collectors of Daraya
Delphine Minoui
RRP:
NZ$ 24.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 18.74
Paperback
h197 x 130mm - 208pg
3 Feb 2022 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9781529012330
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order

Click to view other formats:
9781529012316 UK Hardback $33.74

' There is no jail that can imprison the free word, nor is there a siege tight enough that can prevent the spread of information. ' MAZEN DARWISH, Syrian human rights activist, in a speech given on April 23, 2016, following his release from jail in 2015. In 2012 the rebel suburb of Daraya in Damascus was brutally besieged by Syrian government forces. Four years of suffering ensued, punctuated by shelling, barrel bombs and chemical gas attacks. People' s homes were destroyed and their food supplies cut off; disease was rife. Yet in this man-made hell, forty young Syrian revolutionaries embarked on an extraordinary project, rescuing all the books they could find in the bombed-out ruins of their home town. They used them to create a secret library, in a safe place, deep underground. It became their school, their university, their refuge. It was a place to learn, to exchange ideas, to dream and to hope. Based on lengthy interviews with these young men, conducted over Skype by the award-winning French journalist, Delphine Minoui, The Book Collectors is a powerful testament to freedom, tolerance and the power of literature. ' This is an urgent and compelling account of great bravery and passion. Delphine Minoui has crafted a book that champions books and the individuals who risk everything to preserve them. ' Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book
This is an urgent and compelling account of great bravery and passion. Delphine Minoui has crafted a book that champions books and the individuals who risk everything to preserve them. -- Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book An extraordinary story . . . Heartbreaking, inspiring, and beautifully told -- Kirkus Reviews This compassionate portrayal of an engaging group of rebels serves as a testament to both the resilience of the human spirit and to the power of story. * Library Journal * I was so moved by this account of the young rebels of Daraya, Syria, who, in the midst of a four-year blockade by Assad' s forces (including having poison gas used against them), set up a library with books rescued from bombed and destroyed buildings, an underground (in both senses of the word) library that grew to more than 15,000 titles, ranging from Stephen Covey' s The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People to Paulo Coelho' s The Alchemist, and everything in between. In this testimony to the power of reading, these lines stood out: ' Books are their best way to escape the war, if only temporarily. A melody of words against the dirge of bombs. ' -- Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust and George and Lizzie Absolutely essential reading. With masterful storytelling, Delphine Minoui recounts the struggle and tenacity of the youth of Daraya who, in the shadow of a merciless war, rescue books from the rubble and bring to life a library unlike any other. Each page connects us to their strength and their spirit as well as to the power of words in a crumbling world. This book is an ode to resistance, to freedom, and to life. -- Negar Djavadi, author of Disoriental
Delphine Minoui, a recipient of the Albert Londres Prize for her reporting on Iraq and Iran, is a Middle East correspondent for Le Figaro. Born in Paris in 1974 to a French mother and an Iranian father, she now lives in Istanbul. She is the author of I' m Writing You From Tehran and The Book Collectors.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781529012330
Published: 3 Feb 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Height: 197mm
Width: 130mm
Spine: 14mm
Weight: 169g
Pages: 208

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information

Details of the product above will be automatically included with your enquiry.