Posts by Siwar Al Assad
29
Sep
Every few weeks, I receive letters and messages from readers scattered across the world. Many of them are Syrians who, like me, left th...
29
Sep
How Syria’s Literary Scene Has Been Reborn Since 2011
I still remember walking into a bookshop in Beirut in 2012, books piled high, many bound in dust, some with pages torn by conflict, oth...
26
Aug
How Trauma Is Passed Through Generations – What Syria Taught Me About Inheritance
I’ve met people who carry wounds they can’t name. They speak of anxiety without cause, sorrow without memory, rage without explanation....
26
Aug
Stories That Stay: 8 Books About Refugee Experiences You Should Read
There’s a question I’ve heard over and over again, at readings, through messages online, even whispered across tables after book events...
26
Aug
How the Colonial Legacy in Modern Syria Still Shapes Our Future
If you’ve ever tried to explain Syria’s complex present without touching on its colonial past, you’ll find it doesn’t quite add up. I’v...
26
Aug
When Words Carry Worlds: The Real Differences Between Exile and Refugee
Over the years, I’ve received many letters, some from young readers in the diaspora, others from older Syrians who left decades ago. Th...
26
Aug
One Person’s Story of Storytelling: How War Affects Storytelling in Syria and Beyond
Sometimes, I receive messages from readers asking me why my stories no longer feel like they used to, why the shadows are darker, the s...
18
Jul
Why I Write: Cultural Memory, Literary Resistance, and Syria’s Survival
If there’s one question I return to often, both in life and in literature, it’s this: What happens to a culture when the world stops se...
18
Jul
Writing, War, and the Will to Rebuild: A Conversation with Siwar Al Assad
Over the years, I’ve received countless messages, some sent quietly by email, others left as public comments on social media. Readers f...
18
Jul
Why Stories Survive When Cities Don’t: The Psychology of Post-War Syria
When a city crumbles, you don’t just lose buildings, you lose the echoes. The morning calls to prayer. The chatter in the cafés. The my...