Baghdad Sketches:
A grand-daughter's search for her Iraqi roots

In celebration of her new book, Last Days in Babylon: the history of a family, the story of a nation, Marina Benjamin presents glimpses of Baghdad in space and time.

Marina made a daring trip to Iraq in 2004 in search of her roots, and to track down the last remaining members of a once-vital 2,600 year-old Jewish community.

In an effort to piece together what her family’s life must have been like, she walked the narrow streets in the footsteps of her grandmother, Regina Sehayek.  Born into a privileged existence as a member of the largest and most prosperous ethnic group in Baghdad, as a young mother Regina engineered her escape from Iraq at a time when the Jews found themselves increasingly caught up in the crossfire of misunderstanding, prejudice and geopolitics.

Marina will discuss what made her write the book and how she sees her identity as a British-born journalist and writer of Iraqi-Jewish origin.

Saturday 3 February
Spiro Ark Centre, 25–26 Enford St, W1
6.45 for 7.15 pm prompt
Tickets: £7

Harif/Spiro Ark

Advance booking essential from The Spiro Ark - 020 7723 9991

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