"You're Stronger Than You Think. Voices, Fears, and Dreams from Middle School": more than the title of a book, it sounds like a trailer for a story. This is the story that Amani El Nasif will tell on Tuesday, November 17th at 6:00 PM in the Angioy Hall of the Sassari Metropolitan City Hall, in Piazza d'Italia.
Amani arrived from Syria at the age of three and settled in Bassano del Grappa. She grew up speaking Italian, thinking in Italian, feeling Italian. Yet, when she entered middle school, many continued to call her "the foreigner." Throughout her school years, cumbersome questions formed within her that she didn't know who to ask: about her changing body, about friendships that hurt, about her place in the world. At sixteen, she was deceived into taking her to Syria and lost her freedom. When she managed to return, she chose not to remain silent anymore. She entered schools, shared her story, and learned to recognize in the silence of those facing her the same fears that were hers.
The event is organized by the Association of European Italian Sardinians with Lìberos and the Koinè Ubik bookshop in Sassari.
On Wednesday, November 18th, Amani El Nasif will be at the Cineteatro REX in Bono (10:30 a.m.) to meet with students and the local community on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The event is an extension of the Mens Sana sports literature festival organized by the Municipality of Bono with Lìberos.