Wordfest presents Tima Kurdi (hosted by Amanda Lindhout)

Tima Kurdi presents an intimate and poignant memoir about the family of Alan Kurdi — the young Syrian boy who became the global emblem for the desperate plight of millions of Syrian refugees — and of the many extraordinary journeys the Kurdis have taken, spanning countries and continents. Hosted by Amanda Lindhout, coauthor of A House in the Sky, this event includes an on-stage interview, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

About Tima Kurdi

Tima Kurdi is an internationally recognized spokesperson who has partnered with governments, businesses, and citizens worldwide to help raise awareness about the global refugee crisis. She, along with her brother Abdullah, is the co-founder of the Kurdi Foundation. Tima lives with her husband and son in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Visit her at kurdifoundation.com or follow her on Twitter @TimaKurdi.

About The Boy on the Beach

Alan Kurdi’s body washed up on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea on September 2, 2015, and overnight, the political became personal, as the world awoke to the reality of the Syrian refugee crisis. Tima Kurdi first saw the shocking photo of her nephew in her home in Vancouver, Canada. But Tima did not need a photo to understand the truth; she and her family had already been living it.

In The Boy on the Beach, Tima recounts her idyllic childhood in Syria, where she grew up with her brother Abdullah and other siblings in a tight‑knit family. A strong‑willed, independent woman, Tima studied to be a hairdresser and had dreams of seeing the world. At twenty‑two, she emigrated to Canada, but much of her family remained in Damascus. Life as a single mother and immigrant in a new country wasn’t always easy, and Tima recounts with heart‑wrenching honesty the anguish of being torn between a new home and the world she’d left behind.

As Tima struggled to adapt to life in a new land, war overtook her homeland. Caught in the crosshairs of civil war, her family risked everything and fled their homes. Tima worked tirelessly to help them find safety, but their journey was far from easy. Although thwarted by politics, hounded by violence, and separated by vast distances, the Kurdis encountered setbacks at every turn, they never gave up hope. And when tragedy struck, Tima suddenly found herself thrust onto the world stage as an advocate for refugees everywhere, a role for which she had never prepared but that allowed her to give voice to those who didn’t have an opportunity to speak for themselves.

From the jasmine‑scented neighbourhoods of Damascus before the war to the streets of Aleppo during it, to the refugee camps of Europe and the leafy suburbs of Vancouver, The Boy on the Beach is one family’s story of love, loss, and the persistent search for safe harbour in a devastating time of war.

About Host Amanda Lindhout

Amanda Lindhout is a sought-after inspirational speaker and New York Times bestselling author of A House in the Sky. She has been featured in Vogue, New York Times Magazine, Dateline, and The Globe and Mail. She has travelled to nearly 90 countries and is now living in Calgary. A House in the Sky is being developed into a Hollywood motion picture by heavyweight production company Annapurna, with two-time Oscar-nominated actress Rooney Mara playing Amanda.