Nadia Murad at The Brattle Theatre

Harvard Book Store welcomes Nadia Murad—human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and founder and president of Nadia’s Initiative, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds communities in crisis and advances the rights of women and survivors worldwide—for a discussion of her new book, I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism.

There are two ticket options for this event.

1. Book-Included Tickets: Includes admission for one and one hardcover copy of I Choose My Beginning, pre-signed by the author.
2. Admission-Only Tickets: Includes admission for one.

Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event.

In a lyrical and profoundly moving memoir, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad reclaims her extraordinary journey from the embers of devastation to a fight for freedom—and for what comes next when a young girl’s flame cannot be extinguished.
In 2014, Nadia Murad was living in northern Iraq when her world was shattered. Fighters from the so-called Islamic State attacked her village, massacring hundreds—including her mother and six of her brothers—and forcing her, along with thousands of Yazidi women and girls, into ISIS’s system of sexual slavery. Her life since then has been split in two. In one she is a global symbol of courage —a survivor and activist who has stood before world leaders to demand justice. In the other, she is a woman learning how to be a friend, a student, a wife; a woman rediscovering ordinary joy.
In I Choose My Beginning, Nadia brings these two selves together. With honesty and grace, she transforms the pain of her past into a life defined not by what was done to her, but by strength, perseverance, and the freedom to choose happiness. From reshaping international law to building a life filled with friendship and love, Nadia carries the memory of those she lost and those who survived. Their presence reminds her—and all of us—that she has always been more than a victim.
Powerful and deeply inspiring, I Choose My Beginning is the story of an extraordinary woman reclaiming her humanity—and showing that survival is not the end of the story. It is the beginning.

Nadia Murad is a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate dedicated to ending the use of sexual violence in conflict and supporting communities affected by genocide. Born in Kocho, a small village in northern Iraq, Nadia survived the 2014 Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS. After escaping captivity, she became a leading advocate for justice and recovery, sharing her story to raise global awareness of the impact of sexual violence and displacement. In 2018, Nadia received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to secure justice for survivors and to promote peace and human rights. She is the founder and president of Nadia’s Initiative, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds communities in crisis and advances the rights of women and survivors worldwide. Photo Credit: Demetric Blyther