About this Event
Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts
“Unnervingly funny and subversive . . . this account of life under authoritarian siege is fiercely local and incontestably universal, harrowing and mutinously entertaining” —The Guardian
In a rare public appearance, the brilliant Booker-longlisted Mohammed Hanif comes to NCLA to read from and discuss ‘Rebel English Academy’, his wonderful new novel about the power of language, friendship, and protest in the face of political turmoil in Pakistan.
When a major Pakistani political figure is hanged, OK Town erupts in protest. A few miles away, Sir Baghi is surprised by a knock at the door of the Rebel English Academy, his tuition centre that offers affordable English lessons. An unexpected visitor, Sabiha, seeks refuge at the Academy – but she has a gun, her parents are political prisoners, her husband has just died in a suspicious fire, and she’s clearly hiding something. Baghi encourages Sabiha to write, and throughout the book her life unspools on the page. In Rebel English Academy, Pakistan is coming into modernity, struggling under martial law after the execution of its former leader. Wry, searing, and deeply relevant, this is a triumphant new novel about political power, religion, education, sexuality, and dissent.
Mohammed Hanif was born in Okara, Pakistan. He graduated from the Pakistan Air Force Academy as Pilot Officer but subsequently left to pursue a career in journalism. His first novel, ‘A Case of Exploding Mangoes’, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Novel. His second novel, ‘Our Lady of Alice Bhatti’, was shortlisted for the 2012 Wellcome Prize. He has written the libretto for an opera called ‘Bhutto’, commissioned by the Lyric Theater in Illinois, which premiered with the Pittsburgh Opera in 2019. He has also written for the stage and screen, including a BBC radio play, ‘What Now, Now That We Are Dead?’ He writes regularly for the New York Times, BBC Urdu, and BBC Punjabi, and currently splits his time between Berlin and Karachi.
Chaired by Preti Taneja, Professor of World Literature and Creative Writing at Newcastle University and Director of NCLA.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ticket Information
- Click on the 'Reserve a spot' button and add your name and contact details to the short form.
- This event will be held in the Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building at Newcastle University (NE1 7RU).
- We operate a paperless ticketing system, so you do not need to print your tickets. Just give your name at the door.
- To avoid crowding, audience members are asked to arrive for events no earlier than 15 minutes before the advertised start time.
Venue Details and Accessibility
- The Herschel Building is located a 3-minute walk from Haymarket Metro Station and Bus Station, and is easily accessible by Public Transport.
- The Curtis Auditorium is a tiered lecture theatre and has 8 designated spaces for wheelchair users, with flat-level access. There is also a hearing loop system and an accessible toilet nearby.
- Please note any access requirements on your booking form.
Disclaimer
The University will make all reasonable efforts to deliver events. However, it may be necessary to make changes in response to significant disruption.
Data Protection Statement
The information you provide will be used in connection with the organisation of this event and to communicate with you about the event. Information will be stored securely by Eventbrite and will only be accessed by the event organisers. It will not be shared with a third party.
If you would like more information about how we manage personal data more generally, including your rights under law, and the contact details of the University’s Data Protection Officer, please see our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/data.protection
To read the Eventbrite Privacy Policy visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/support/articles/en_US/Troubleshooting/eventbrite-privacy-policy
Event venue & nearby stays
Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.