International Studies and Programs and the African Studies Center invite you to join New York Times bestselling author Ben Rawlence for a presentation titled: A View from Dadaab.

Dadaab camp was formed in the desert of northern Kenya in 1991 as a temporary haven for 90,000 people fleeing Somalia's civil war. It is now an ever-expanding, makeshift city of half a million. Like a letter from the future, Ben Rawlence's account of Dadaab through the stories of nine of its residents provides a window into—and a warning for—our global refugee crisis.

 

Rawlence will be discussing his new book, City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp. There will be a book signing, with copies available for purchase, directly following the talk.

 

"Read this one... This is the rare nonfiction book that pulls you into another world. The camp, even the weather, are characters of their own... Famine. Corruption. Longing. Prayer. All are made almost tangible." Cara Anna, Associated Press

 

"The disjuncture between the harsh realities of life in the camps and the view from the boardrooms of world power centers is extraordinary and damning. A significant, timely, and gloomy tale that reveals the human costs of a growing world crisis." Kirkus Reviews

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Rawlence is a former researcher for Human Rights Watch in the horn of Africa. He is the author of Radio Congo and has written for a wide range of publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, the London Review of Books, and Prospect. He lives in the Black Mountains Wales with his family. Follow him on Twitter @BenRawlence.