On Thursday, May 22, actors in theaters across the country will read from the book "Here was our house – children's stories from Gaza", recently published by Atlas publishing house, in collaboration with Arena Idé.
In the midst of bombings, famine, and displacement, a committee in Gaza worked to let children describe their experiences. Some of the short stories were then selected for the book, which is published in both Swedish and Arabic in the same edition. When Frida Röhl read it, she got a strong feeling that the children must be heard.
It's the least one can do, tell so that they are heard. That there is an adult humanistic world somewhere, even if it's far away, she says.
"When the children's voices reach us, no one can longer say that they didn't know", says editor Amer Sarsour, son of one of the book's initiators Amil Sarsour.
Frida Röhl tells that the response was enormous – now about twenty theaters are participating. The readings of the children's texts will take place on several stages and will be published in social media channels. Frida Röhl thinks the turnout testifies that many have had enough.
There is sometimes a simplistic thought that the world cannot be changed, but it can. And step one is that we show that we react, she says.
The book "Here was our house – children's stories from Gaza" came about on the initiative of Swedish-Palestinian Amil Sarsour and Rezek al-Muza’anan, and has a foreword by author Nora Khalil. Editors are author and poet Amer Sarsour and communicator Dima Sarsour.
Theaters participating in the reading are: Folkteatern in Gothenburg, Unga Klara, Backa Teater, Unga Dramaten, Gothenburg City Theater, Uppsala City Theater, Dalateatern, graduating students at the theater high school in Luleå, Angereds Teater, Riksteatern, Ung Scen Öst, Malmö City Theater, Malmö City Theater Rosengård, Örebro Teater, Masthuggsteatern, Västerbottensteatern. More are also expected to join.
From Riksteatern, the actors Ann Petrén, Katarina Ewerlöf, Özz Nûjen, Samuel Fröler, and Mårten Andersson are participating.
