Syrian Dreams (Part 2)

LeAnne Hardy: Last week author Kati Woronka told us about getting to know the female Syrian university students whose lives she describes in Dreams in the Medina. (See the end of this blog for details on how to enter to win a free e-copy.)

Kati, how do you find time to write in your busy schedule as a university lecturer and qualitative researcher?

KW: This is a big challenge for me, one I am constantly trying to negotiate in my life. Dreams in the Medina was a six year project, and I had a few breaks in between jobs to work on it, so I'm struggling to find time to write now. As I think is true for most writers, though, I don't just write to produce something. I write as a way of processing life and keeping myself sane. So the motivation to keep writing is pretty big!

LH: Did you know when you began Dreams in the Medina how it would end, or did that come to you later?

KW: Roughly. I started off writing two or three chapters, most of which has now been deleted from the final product. Then, at the recommendation of an experienced editor, I drafted a synopsis, outlining the story for the entire book. Some details changed as the character's lives took shape, but most of the plot followed the storyline I set out in the original synopsis.

LH: What was the hardest part of writing a book like this?

KW: Writing a first draft of the book was not difficult. I had a lot of pent-up story inside of me that flowed out easily. What was difficult was revision, knowing that a first draft is never a final draft, but feeling unsure of what to change. I enlisted the assistance of several editors and was actually frustrated when they didn't recommend significant changes. I knew the book wasn't perfect but couldn't figure out quite what to change. So it took quite a few revisions until I felt I had the feedback I needed.

LH: So much is going on in Syria today. Do you know if your friends are all right?

KW: Sadly, I have lost touch with most of my friends from the days I lived in the Medina. Back then, cell phones were almost unheard-of, Facebook was banned, Arabic script was not available on most computers, and hardly anyone I knew had an email address. So when we graduated, we each went our separate ways. Facebook has helped me find a handful of my old university friends, but there are many others whom I have been unable to contact. Every few months, I spend a day or two looking again, because I do worry and wonder.

The friends with whom I have maintained contact are all still alive and well, though not a single one has stayed living in her home. Some have moved to other places in Syria, but most have fled the country and are now living as refugees. At least they and their loved ones are alive. Not only that, but I thank God that none of my friends' brothers are fighting in the war; instead they are committed to peaceful living and non-violence. But it scares me to think what might have happened to the friends about whom I have no news, and their families.

LH: How do you see storytelling contributing to future peace in Syria?

KW: When I lived in Syria, it was a peaceful and hospitable country. Often, Syrian friends and I look at each other and shake our heads. This is not the Syria we know. But almost three years into a violent conflict, there are countless broken relationships. How will people ever learn to live together in mutual respect and dignity, if they don't hear each other's stories? Stories remind us that people are human, and that behind every act there is a deeper story. Today I hear stories of how a woman witnessed the brutal execution of her two sons and, out of her anger, became a sniper. I hear stories of young men fleeing the country, leaving the rest of their families behind in a war zone, because if they stay they will be recruited into the army or a militia. I hear stories of Christians providing safe haven to Muslims and vice-versa. I believe that sharing such stories will be a means by which Syrians learn to some day rebuild their society in peace and hope. But the right stories need to be told, stories that promote understanding and reconciliation, not stories that promote hatred.

LH: Stories are so important for understanding other people. And as you say, they must be the right stories. Kati, what can we expect from you in the future as a writer?

KW: I maintain a blog called "CulturTwined". Although I don't update regularly, the purpose is to celebrate diversity and unique encounters between people who are different from each other. And I have recently started working on a new novel about Syrian women. Leila and her friends are all grown up now, and each is experiencing the breakdown of the country that she loves in different ways. This book will explore the response of Syrian women in these hard times.

LH: Thank you for sharing with us, Kati. I, for one, will really look forward to your next book and the insights your intimate knowledge of the situation bring to us.

Kati is offering a free e-book to a reader who comments on this blog. As usual this contest is void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Results will be announced, Sunday, February 2.
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LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her fiction reflects her faith, her passion for storytelling that stretches the mind and the cultures she has lived in. Learn more at www.leannehardy.net .

Syrian Dreams (Part 1)

Dreams in the Medina by Kati Woronka is about female college students in Damascus with their hopes and dreams of careers and love. But being a good Muslim wife and mother is what their families expect of them. Huda excels in her studies—until a professor agrees to “help” her. Her responsibilities to family make it difficult to refuse his “help”. Village girl Leila envies the glamour of Roxy’s life as the second wife of a wealthy man although she has no idea what Roxy’s life is really like. Leila hopes she too can marry for love. She has in mind the bridegroom she wants, but her parents have other plans. Can any of the girls realize the dreams that an education has sown in their hearts? See the end of this blog to learn how you can enter to win a free e-copy.

I recently met Kati Woronka (pseudonym) when she presented a paper at a conference on the implications of the Arab Spring for churches. She is a university lecturer in social sciences whose passion is the empowerment of local civil society for peace, especially in the Middle East and across the Arab world, where she has spent much of her professional life. As a qualitative researcher, Kati has explored the use of storytelling for peace and community reconciliation as well as for project monitoring and evaluation.

Kati Woronka is with us today to talk about Dreams in the Medina, her debut novel. Kati, what made you want to write about Syrian college students?

Kati Woronka: I did some very interesting research about Syrian women for graduate school, first a small project investigating the aspirations of students in Damascus, then a full thesis on the identity of Syrian women in the context of Muslim-Christian relations. Many people were fascinated by my choice of research topic and told me they'd like to see me publish my findings academically. I was resistant to that idea because academic publishing is often inaccessible, and so few people actually bother to read it. But I agreed with the sentiment that I was learning so much about a world that is largely unknown to many people in the West, at a time in history when the media paints the Middle East in such controversial colors. So, since I have a background in fiction writing, I decided to start writing up my research in the form of stories.

LH: What do you hope non-Syrian readers will take away from this story?

KW: A few months ago, I led a reflection exercise with some colleagues in England about the Syria conflict. I asked them to write down the first words that came to mind when they thought of Syria, and the words they came up with included: “war”, “crisis”, “sectarian”, “Islamists”, “dictatorship”. Their answers didn't surprise me, because those are words often used in news reports about Syria. But then I told them some stories about Syrian people, and was thrilled as their list of words changed: “hope”, “beauty”, “passions”, “family”, “ancient history”. My desire for Dreams in the Medina is that its readers will come to have greater interest in Syrian people, not just politics, and begin to share with me a love for the beautiful diversity and the rich cultural heritage that I encountered in Syria.

LH: You obviously have close friendships with girls like the ones we meet in Dreams. How did you develop those friendships?

KW: You're right. I am honored to count some Syrian women among my dearest friends. Before pursuing graduate studies, I studied Arabic in Damascus and lived in the university dorms where I spent long nights chatting with my neighbors in the Medina—much as the characters in the book do. Sharing student life has a way of creating deep bonds. I was fortunate to first move to Syria as a student rather than in a professional capacity, because I had little to offer and so much to gain. My friends became my teachers and welcomed me into their lives, and I learned to do the same.

LH: How do you think knowing the local language helped you to get to know the women who inspired your characters?

KW: Pride in Arabic language is a huge part of Syrian culture. That's one reason why so many Arabic words found their way into the story. Somehow, it's simply not Syrian without them. [LH: There is a glossary at the end of the book. Although I only found the glossary after I finished reading, the meaning of most terms was clear in the context.] At the same time, I was making friends through studying and practicing the language. So my Arabic improved, my cultural awareness grew, and the friendships deepened simultaneously. In the Medina, English is hardly spoken at all; in fact, few Syrian women speak any language other than Arabic. Also, because I learned Arabic, I was able to do extensive research interviewing Syrian women, and later other people throughout the Arab world.

LH: Kati will be offering a free e-book to a reader who comments on this blog or next Tuesday when I ask her about the challenges of writing a book like this. Comment both weeks to increase your chances of winning. As usual this contest is void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Results will be announced, Sunday, February 2.
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LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her fiction reflects her faith, her passion for storytelling that stretches the mind and the cultures she has lived in. Learn more at www.leannehardy.net .