Torture, degradation and unhuman conditions – everyday life in Syrian prisons, as it is portrayed in Mustafa Khalifa’s novel The Shell, is near impossible to take in. During the revolution and civil war, you could end up in one of Assad’s prisons by merely possessing a copy of the book, which portrays the last wave of resistance to the regime, in the 1980s. Extracts and photocopies were circulated in secret, and many experienced a political awakening through reading the book.

Zeina Bali is one of many young Syrians who have been greatly affected by the novel. She will meet Khalifa for a conversation about the story behind the book, and the central role it came to play in the Syrian revolution.

The conversation will be in Arabic with interpretation into English.