Drop-in , no registration required.
Practical info: The conversation lasts 90 minutes, including questions from the audience.
Attendance in lobby. Allow extra time if you want to use the cloakroom, large bags, food and drinks must be left behind.
There is limited space, so it's a good idea to arrive early. First come, first served!
Conversation with Don Martin, Zeshan Shakar, and Hamza Hersi: The theme of the conversation is belonging, youth culture, community, and exclusion. We will relate these themes to Arif's book, which deals with similar experiences that Zeshan Shakar, Don Martin, and Hamza Hersi have experienced and written about.
With the album "Once a Romsås Boy, Always a Romsås Boy," Don Martin wanted to tell his side of the city. The side that was often talked about but rarely had its own voice. Elsewhere in Groruddalen, Zeshan Shakar was working on a similar project, and in 2017 the novel "Tante Ulrikkes vei" was published. New voices were finally starting to emerge from East Oslo. "Can You Hear the City Exhale" takes us between the lines of Don Martin's album, to a childhood on Line 5 Vestli, and to the first meeting between Martin and Zeshan. It's about telling your own story. The book is a strong reflection on themes the two friends frequently return to, such as class, racism, community, and exclusion. And how the places we come from take root in us.
Betongblomst II is a continuation of Hamza’s personal journey; the continuation of the story that began with the first Betongblomst. In the first poetry collection, he tried to capture the beauty and struggle he faced growing up in Norwegian suburbs. He often showed dissatisfaction with his inability to play ball and other competitive activities. Now, the pen has given him direction, like a compass, and he is more influenced by positivity.
Photo: Bonnier forlag
