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The Pianist of Yarmouk

The Pianist of Yarmouk

Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Pianist of Yarmouk by Aeham Ahmad, read by Nezar Alderazi.

One morning on the outskirts of Damascus, two starving friends were walking through their war-ravaged city. They entered a once familiar street that had now been turned to rubble - concrete bridges towered over them like tombs and houses were turned inside out. One of them, Aeham, turned to the only comfort he had left - his piano - and composed a song of hope. It was a song that would reach beyond the rubble and bring a message of solidarity to his fellow Syrians, and all those suffering the devastation of war.

Growing up in a close family in Damascus, Aeham had everything he needed. At a young age, with the fervent support of his father, he fell in love with the piano. Yet, as the years passed the brutal civil war began to tear apart both Aeham's city and his life until he lost friends, family and eventually his home. Forced to leave his country alone and seek safety, he was left with nothing but his gifts as a musician.

This is the captivating account of Aeham's life; a gripping portrait of a man's search for peace, and of a country that has been fiercely torn apart by war.

Reviews

  • Ahmad has created a moving and visceral account of conflict, hope and the power of music
    Hannah Beckerman, Observer

About the author

Aeham Ahmad

Aeham Ahmad, born in Damascus in 1988, grew up in Yarmouk, a suburb of Damascus. From the age of four onwards his father encouraged his musical talent and at seven he received piano lessons at the Arab Institute in Damascus. He later studied music education in Homs and worked as a music teacher.

In 2015 he was forced to flee to Germany because of the war in Syria. Today he lives with his family in Wiesbaden and gives concerts all over Europe. In December 2015, Ahmad was awarded the International Beethoven Prize for Human Rights.

This is his first book.
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