Both will be speaking at Free Library of Philadelphia Auditorium, 1901 Vine Street.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali | Nomad: A Memoir
Thursday, June 3, 7:00 pm
Born in Somalia and raised Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali fled to Holland—where she eventually became a member of the Dutch parliament—to avoid a forced marriage.
An outspoken advocate for womens rights and a staunch critic of Islamic extremism,Ali made a documentary about domestic abuse among Muslim women with director Theo van Gogh, who was subsequently killed by an Islamic extremist. Continuing death threats have forced her into hiding.
Her first book, The Caged Virgin, was a collection of essays concerning the oppression of Muslim women. In Nomad—the follow up to her no. 1 bestselling memoir Infidel—Ali tells the story of her search for a new life in the United States.
Tickets are available online. $14 ($7 for students).
Christopher Hitchens | Hitch-22
Tuesday, June 15th, 7:30 pm
Called “America’s foremost literary pugilist” by a reviewer for The Village Voice, Christopher Hitchens is a prolific and controversial writer, as well as a popular radio and TV commentator. A self-styled “radicalist,” Hitchens is notorious for his strong opinions and conflicting views—he was against the Vietnam War and for the Iraq invasion.
He has written books excoriating Mother Teresa, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Henry Kissinger, as well as biographies elevating Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and George Orwell. His polemic against organized religion, God Is Not Great, was a no. 1 New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Award. Providing new insight into his life and beliefs, Hitch-22 sheds light on the formative experiences and personal relationships with famous writers and political figures that helped make him the intellectual he is today.
Mr. Hitchens will be interviewed by Marty Moss-Coane, host of WHYY's Radio Times.
Cost: $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets available online.
