Ibtisam Azem - The Sleep Thief
Attendance options:
We are overjoyed to be hosting Ibtisam Azem for the Edinburgh launch of her highly anticipated forthcoming book, The Sleep Thief. Our booksellers loved her wildly successful The Book of Disappearance last year, and we can't wait to share this one with you all!
The Sleep Thief is Azem's first novel, now translated into English for the first time by Sinan Antoon. Join us in the bookshop or tune in to the livestream for a brilliant discussion and celebration of its publication.
Please note that The Sleep Thief will be published earlier in the year on 25th August, therefore books for the Book & Ticket options will be posted out to you or made available to collect from the bookshop between then and the event on 7th October. You can choose whether you would prefer collection or postage in the checkout options.
About The Sleep Thief:
'Sleep thief is what the interrogator called me. I’ll never forget that. I would steal a few seconds of sleep so I could remain steadfast before them. The name stuck; I even dreamt about it, the same dream, night after night. I woke up not knowing what to do and drenched in sweat.’
The experimental first novel from International Booker-Prize longlisted Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem, The Sleep Thief follows the life of Gharib (“the Stranger”) Haifawi as he comes of age, is drawn into resistance, makes friends, meets lovers, pushes back against traditional values, longs to be free of the labels and expectations that burden him, rails against the commodification of suffering, and dreams of a Palestinian identity that will transcend sorrow. Translated by Sinan Antoon.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
Ibtisam Azem Author
Ibtisam Azem is a Palestinian novelist, short story writer, and journalist, based in New York. She was born and raised in Taybeh, near Jaffa, the city from which her mother and maternal grandparents were internally displaced in 1948 Nakba. She lived in Jerusalem before moving to Germany and later to the US.
Azem holds an MA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, with minors in German and English Literature, from Freiburg University (Germany), as well as an MA in Social Work from New York University. She works as a senior correspondent for the Arabic newspaper, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, in New York.
She has published two novels in Arabic: The Sleep Thief (2011) and The Book of Disappearance (2014). Her first short story collection, City of Strangers, is forthcoming in Arabic in the summer of 2025. The Book of Disappearance has been translated into English, Italian, and German, and is forthcoming in Portuguese and Polish.
Azem’s short stories and essays have appeared in several anthologies and various magazines, including Evergreen Review, Journal of Palestine Studies, World Literature Today, and Jadaliyya.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.