Khaled Alesmael is a Syrian author, journalist and short film maker based in London. In his exile, he has gone on to write two queer books and poems, including Selamlik, regarded by many as one the first homoerotic perspective of the Syrian war. Selamlik, the title of which brings to mind hope for change and freedom, tells the story of Furat his childhood and journey from war-torn Syria to Sweden as a refugee. The book, which bears many parallels to Khaled’s own journey, has been widely acclaimed as a powerful account of an emergent Arab queer identity, his writing has been compared to Jean Genet’s in the Swedish media, published in Swedish and German and soon in different languages.

Read more here:
www.torch.ox.ac.uk/event/khaled-alesmael-in-conversation-with-lydia-wright-and-suzan-meryem-rosita