Rebirth Launch: Antoun Issa in-conversation with Jan Fran
Wed, 29 Apr
|Better Read Than Dead
Join us with Antoun Issa to celebrate the release of Rebirth: A Love Story from the Depths of War! Antoun will be in conversation with Jan Fran.
Time & Location
29 Apr 2026, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Better Read Than Dead, 265 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
About The Event
Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother's true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.
Beirut, 1974. Laila Khalil has just come of age for marriage. The eldest of five in a poor Catholic family, Laila knows that she must fulfil her family's expectations. But her heart is drawn to the handsome Nicolas, a coiffeur at a local hair salon. Dodging the watchful eyes in their patriarchal society, particularly those of Laila's domineering father, the two young lovers begin a tender romance. Soon, they make plans for marriage.
But Laila's dreams are dashed when the Lebanese Civil War breaks out.
Shells whir overhead as Laila's family are caught in heavy clashes between the Phalangists and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. When tragedy strikes, Laila watches all her hopes wither to ash. But just as life seems its darkest, a lifeline presents itself: the prospect of migration…
Tickets
Event Ticket
$5.00
+$0.13 ticket service fee
Event + Book
Includes a ticket and copy of Rebirth
$40.00
+$1.00 ticket service fee
Total
$0.00