June 18, 2022

I WANT SKY in New York: A reading for Sarah Hegazi

by Lana Barkawi | in Literary

In celebration of the life of Sarah Hegazi, two years after her tragic death, join us for a loving Pride reading in New York. Guest editor Mariam Bazeed will be joined by authors from the special tribute publication I Want Sky to read in a garden space for this in-person event. There will also be an open mic and a musical performance from oudist Huda Asfour. Reading is free and attendees will receive a free copy of I Want Sky. We’ll have water and cups and you’re welcome to bring your own beverages.

Seating is very limited and RSVP is required. Full address will be shared upon RSVP.

COVID SAFETY: This is an outdoor event in order to be COVID safe. Guests will be asked to mask when using the indoor bathrooms.

OPEN MIC: We’ll be kicking off the Mizna/AAWW backyard reading for Sarah Hegazi with an Open Mic! We hope you’ll help us warm up the stage. Sign up to share readings, music, and performances of all kinds. Read more about it and sign up for an open mic slot here.

RAIN PLAN: In case of inclement weather, we will move the reading inside at the same location. In that case, guests will be required to wear masks.

RSVP

Event is free, donations appreciated!

BIOS

Niki Afsar [she/her/hers/they/them/theirs] is a queer, nonbinary/femme Iranian-American writer and interdisclipinary artist, employing writing, performance, music and sound, and mirror work in their practice. Their work explores ideas of fluidity and longing in language, hybrid/myriad identities, and mental health. They have done theatrical work in New York City, Tehran, and Western Massachusetts, and are currently based in the Washington D.C. area.

Huda Asfour (oudist) believes in the necessity of transcending borders in both life and music. A polymath with works in the fields of music, biomedical engineering, signal and image processing, and social work. She is a natural storyteller whose music challenges taboos and stereotypes. An exceptional improviser who has over the years collaborated with artists spanning countries from the USA to China.

Mariam Bazeed [m/m/m’s/they/them/theirs] is a non-binary Egyptian immigrant living in Brooklyn, New York. An alliteration-leaning writer of prose, poetry, plays, and personal essays, Mariam is also a stage actor and spoken word performer. Their multi-genre work has been published in print and online, and their plays have been part of festivals in the United States and abroad. To procrastinate from facing the blank page, they run a monthlyish literary & performance salon, and are a slow student of Arabic music

donia salem harhoor [she/her/ hers/they/them/theirs] is an egyptian american bibliophile. Executive director of The Outlet Dance Project, alumna of Community of Writers and Open Mouth Poetry Retreat, in 2019 they were Grounds for Sculpture’s inaugural performing artist in residence. One of Swim Pony’s Trail Off Project authors, their poetry has appeared in Anomaly and Sukoon magazines. donia’s MFA in Interdisciplinary Art is from Goddard College.

Ghinwa Jawhari [she/her/hers] is a Lebanese American writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a 2021 Margins Fellow with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Her debut chapbook BINT was selected by Aria Aber for the Own Voices Chapbook Prize, and is available from Radix Media. Her essays, fiction, and poetry appear in Mizna, Catapult, Narrative, The Adroit Journal, and elsewhere.

Kamelya Omayma Youssef [she/ her/hers] is a poet living between New York and Dearborn/Detroit. She is the author of A book with a hole in it, forthcoming in 2022 with Wendy’s Subway. Her poems and lyric essays have been published online, in print, on the theater stage, and in several anthologies. She also continues to develop liberation-oriented creative workshops and pedagogies with her friends.

ABOUT I WANT SKY

Mizna, in partnership with Asian American Writers Workshops’ The Margins present I Want Sky. The notebook, guest-edited by Mariam Bazeed, features contributions from AMA, Amir Ferdjani, Banah el Ghadbanah, donial salem harhooor, Eman Desouky, Gamal El Sawah, Ghinwa Jawhari, Janine Mogannam, Kamelya Omayma Youssef, Layla Zbinden, ‘mad, Mejdulene B. Shomali, Mish Ismy, Nada Almosa, Niki Asfar, Nour Kamel, Nusaiba Imady, Qais Kamran, Shiyam Galyon, and Walid Daou. This special collaboration was designed by Morcos Key with illustrations by Haitham Haddad of Studio Mnjnk. Read more here