A.M.Dassu will be interviewed about her novel and will discuss how she hopes that ideas in the teaching resource, created specifically for this event, will support young readers in becoming more empathetic towards the plight of their fellow teens, who are, perhaps, more like them than they realise.

Author of ‘Boy Everywhere’, A.M.Dassu set out to challenge stereotypes with her novel about a Syrian family fleeing war in Damascus to come to Manchester. With teenage characters that any school children will relate to, the novel offers a unique opportunity to explore the issues that families like this face and, more importantly, to shine a light on the lives they leave behind.

A teaching resource that will support discussion and responses in classrooms and homes will be shared with all attendees. All attendees from Greater Manchester schools will also be offered the opportunity to apply for class sets of the books for use in their schools.

This event has been organised by the Manchester Children’s Book Festival at Manchester Metropolitan University and Read Manchester and is supported by Old Barn Books and the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies.