Lebano-Pathography since 2020: Social-Medical Illnesses in Personal Writing

Consider illness as both a medical and social construct in this lecture. Dr Sleiman El Hajj explores how cultural and social pressures may be expressed as physical and mental illness, and how such experiences are represented in narrative form.

Bringing together a range of illness stories, the session introduces the idea of a collective pathography that challenges silence around difficult or marginalised subjects, including trauma, migration and medical error. Drawing on the concept of ‘Lebano-pathography’, participants are invited to reflect on how writing illness can inform understanding and lifelong learning across different contexts.

• Book your place to attend in-person via Eventbrite.
• Attend online by clicking this link on Tuesday 2 June at 12:30.

Please note this lecture will be recorded.

About the series

Explore how storytelling can transform trauma and illness into pathways for healing and agency. In this compelling lecture series, Rewriting Trauma and/or Illness for Lifelong Learning, Dr El Hajj bridges clinical perspectives with creative practice, drawing on years of teaching and research in crisis contexts.

Through fiction, nonfiction, and personal narratives, each session uncovers how meaning-making can reshape experiences of hardship. Attend individual talks or the full series to engage with literature, writing, and lifelong learning. Discover new possibilities for creative and collaborative research.

About the speaker

Dr Sleiman El Hajj is Associate Professor of Creative Writing, and Founder of the Creative Writing Program, at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon. Dr El Hajj has been appointed to research fellowships at the University of Oxford’s Department of International Development (ODID), and is currently Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Oxford Lifelong Learning (Department for Continuing Education).

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Host or Publisher Oxford University, Department for Continuing Education