I’ll Tell You When I’m Home — Book Launch & Conversation with Hala Alyan

Join us for an evening of literature, poetry, and music celebrating Palestinian excellence! 

We’re thrilled to host the launch of I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan — a lyrical, powerful memoir exploring motherhood, identity, and belonging through the lens of personal experiences.

The evening features readings by Farah Barqawi, a writer, poet, performer, and educator whose work appears across languages and forms, and music by Huda Asfour, an internationally acclaimed oud player, composer, and scholar whose performances weave together tradition, improvisation, and global influence. Together, these artists create a space where creativity, memory, and identity intersect.

Whether you’re here to hear Hala read from her memoir, experience Farah’s poetry, or be transported by Huda’s music, this event promises an intimate and inspiring celebration of Palestinian storytelling, culture, and artistic excellence.

Food provided by @yesyasminekitchen

This event is a fundraiser, and 100% of proceeds — including ticket sales, book sales, and merch — will go directly to supporting specific families in Gaza.

About Hala Alyan

Hala Alyan is the author of the novels Salt Houses — winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award, and a finalist for the Chautauqua Prize — and The Arsonists’ City, a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. She is also the author of five highly acclaimed collections of poetry, including The Twenty-Ninth Year and The Moon That Turns You Back. Her work has been published by The New Yorker, The Academy of American Poets, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Guernica. Her debut memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home, was recently published by Simon & Schuster. She lives in Brooklyn with her family, where she works as a clinical psychologist and professor at New York University. https://www.halaalyan.com/

About Huda Asfour

Huda Asfour moves fluidly across artistic and academic realms, building connections where others see divides. Her journey reflects a deliberate weaving of disciplines in service of learning, dialogue, and transformation. Trained in conservatories in Tunisia and Palestine, her musical path has taken her across continents, leading to two acclaimed studio albums—Mars… Back and Forth (2011) and Kouni (2018)—as well as an evolving portfolio of film scores and international collaborations. Alongside her creative work, Huda holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University. She has co-founded and shaped community-based platforms like the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival, and the improv orchestras of Cairo and Brooklyn. Explore more at hudaasfour.com

About Farah Barqawi

Farah Barqawi is a Palestinian writer, poet, performer, educator, and feminist organizer. She works across multiple genres and mediums. Her poetry and prose have appeared in multiple languages, both online and in print. Farah holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from New York University, where she taught creative writing to undergraduates too. She lives in Brooklyn, and is currently training to be a full spectrum birth doula.

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