In 2010 this blog was turned into a book, “Gaza: Beneath the Bombs”, published by Pluto Press, and the book tour which began with its publication continues, with Sharyn is currently in Australia and available for speaking events there. Sarah has recently returned to the UK and may be contacted via her own blog.
You can download a poster to print out promoting the events, with space to fill in the details of your local one, here in PDF format
Calendar of 2012 Events
February
Date: Sat 4th
Location: Sydney
Presented by: Politics in the Pub
Details: Sharyn will be sharing the platform with Dr. Peter Slezak, Associate Professor in History & Philosophy, UNSW and/or Ken Enderby – lecturer on the history of Israel/Palestine
Date: Wed 8th
Location: Wollongong
Venue: Smith’s Hill High School
Presented by: Students Amnesty International Group
Details: Sharyn will be guest speaker
March
Date: Mon ?
Location: West End, Brisbane
Venue: The Perfect Potion
June
Date: Wed 13th, 7pm
Location: London
Venue: Palestine Place, Gray’s Inn Road
Details: t.b.c.
Calendar of Past Events 2011
January
Date: Sat Jan 15 10am
Location: Leeds
Venue: Conference House, Wade Lane
Hosted by: UNISON Regional Womens Training and Policy Session
Details: Sharyn is guest speaker
March
Date: Sat March 18 10am-5pm
Location: London
Venue: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Thornhaugh St,
London WC1H 0XG (Map here)
Details: Book stall at the Celebrate Palestine Festival. See 3 day programme and the amazing artists and performers participating.
Sharyn is also speaking on the “Life in Gaza” Panel, at 3pm, at SOAS, in room B102.
Date: Mon March 21st 2-4pm
Location: Bradford
Venue: Peace Studies Department, Bradford University
Details: Sharyn is guest lecturer for the Israel/Palestine module
Date: Tues March 29th 6.30pm
Location: Melbourne
Event: Israeli Apartheid Week
Venue: 2nd floor, Union House, University of Melbourne
Details: Sarah is speaking on a BDS panel with Phil Monsour and Samah Sabawi from Australians for Palestine. With food and music afterwards…
Date: Wednesday March 30th, 1pm
Location: Melbourne
Venue: Melbourne University, Student Union Building 2nd Floor. Details on this Facebook page.
Details: Melbourne Israeli Apartheid Week event: Forum with Melbourne University lecturer Yassi Morsi
April
Date: April 26th
Location: Sydney
Venue: Glee Books, 49 Glebe Point Road, Sydney NSW
Details: Gaza BTB’s Sarah Irving ‘in conversation’ with Antony Loewenstein, independent journalist and author. Tickets will be on sale from the Glee Books shop and website from mid-March. In association with Coalition for Justice & Peace in Palestine.
May
Wednesday 11th May, 7pm
Hunter Community Environment Centre, 169 Parry St, Hamilton East 2303, Newcastle NSW, Australia. Sarah only. Readings and food. See here for updates.
Date: Thurs 12
Location:Birmgham University
Details: Sharyn will be sharing the platform with Smash EDO activists, talking about their response to Operation Cast Lead and the victory of the EDO court case
Date: Fri 13 7pm
Location: Exeter
Details: Sharyn will be speaking as part of the local Nakba events
Date: Tues 17
Location: Melbourne
Venue: Readings bookshop, Melbourne. Sarah in conversation with Professor Raimond Gaita. 6.30pm, Readings St Kilda, 112 Acland St, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182. Free.
November
Kathy Kelly
Location: Bungendore, New South Wales
Event: Conversations on War: a one day workship with Kathy Kelly
Hosted by: Silver Wattle Quaker Centre
Details: A day-workshop on the uses and effects of public media/social media/new media in militarised conflicts. What are effective media strategies for building peace? What are the emerging issues? Sharyn has been asked to join the discussion panel.
More info and booking here.
CLICK HERE FOR POSTER TO PRINT
Date: 6.30pm, Nov 29
Location: Sydney
Venue: Contact APPA for details
Presented by: The Australian Palestinian Professionals Association
Details: Dinner for the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People – In the presence of H.E. the Palestinian Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi, with guest speakers Sylvia Hale and Vivienne Porzsolt talking about their experiences on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla 2 in July 2011. Michael Coleman will speak about his experience with Freedom Waves and Sharyn Lock will speak on behalf of the Defend the Rescuers banner.
Calendar of Past Events 2010
January
Date: Monday 11th January 6.30-8.30pm
Location: Manchester
Presented by Manchester Muslim Writers, Shakespeare House, 165 Kingsbrook Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 8NR. All welcome, although the event will be tailored to an audience of writers.
Date: Thursday 14th, 7-9pm
Location: Manchester
Presented by: Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Venue: Cross Street Chapel
Featuring: clips from “Erased:Wiped off the Map”, film made during the Gaza attacks by Gaza local Mohammed and Alberto from our ISM group
Date: Sat 23, 4.30pm rd
Location:Norwich
Venue:The Book Hive,53 London street,Norwich.
Featuring: readings by me and Ian Gibson (former MP and long time supporter of Palestine).Refreshments provided by a local Muslim womens group.
Date: Sat 23, 10.30am-5.30pm
Location: Manchester
Stall at Climate & Capitalism day school, John Dalton Building, MMU, Oxford Road.
Date: Friday 29th
Location: Manchester
Venue: greenroom
Featuring: Single Cell Bands. You can read an interview and listen to some tracks by single cell bands at Hey! Manchester. More event details here. Sir Gerald Kaufman MP will also be saying a few words about the delegation of European parliamentarians which he led, returning from Gaza last week.
Also featuring a fundraising raffle to raise money for Defend the Rescuers, a new campaign to support emergency workers in Gaza. Prizes will include: a copy of the book; a piece of original artwork by Jane Lawson, based on Sharyn’s blogs; goodies (made with Fairtrade Palestinian olive oil) from The Visionary Soap Company; a fairly traded Palestinian gift item from Olive Co-operative
Date: Saturday 30th 5pm
Location: Manchester
Presented by: The Zanfha Initiative
Venue: Zion Arts Centre
Featuring: We’re joining in (between 5 and 7pm) with the Initiative’s Palestine Film Event. The event will celebrate the anniversary of Zanfha Initiative and a culmination of a year of fundraising for the childcare centre in Gaza. It will be a one day event with films shown by prominent Palestinian film directors, photo exhibition, crafts stalls of merchandise from Palestine, food of the region. Photo exhibition and short films by UNRWA will also be prominent at the event, and To Shoot An Elephant will be screened. Olive Co-op and Hadeel will be selling Palestinian goods too. Tickets must be booked in advance…
Download the event poster here.
February
Date: Tue 2nd
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Venue: Thistle Hall,on the corner of Cuba and Arthur streets.
Featuring: The New Zealand launch of Gaza Beneath the Bombs and the exhibition opening of “Occupation and Resistance”For more info: http://wellingtonpalestinegroup.blogspot.com/ Hear Israeli peace activist Kerem speaking about the event on Radio Access Wellington Jan 27
Date: Sat 6th 9pm
Location: Hebden Bridge
Venue: Trades Club
Featuring: Palestinian food, Readings, DJing by Madame Muffin, specially out of retirement for this event, and a small Silent Auction (Post a comment below if you want to donate an item worth a minimum of £5.)
Date: Thurs 11th, 8pm
Location: Bradford
Presented by: The 1 in 12 Club click here for map
Venue: The club’s library
Featuring: cake and snacks!
Entry: by donation, proceeds to ISM and Defend the Rescuers
PS: The 1 in 12 are also showing Gaza film “To shoot an elephant” as part of its global screening day on January 18
Date: Feb 20 7.30pm
Location: Penrith
Venue: Bluebell Bookshop
Featuring: the famous Bluebell cafe food!
Date: Sat 27th, 5-7pm
Location: Bristol
Venue: Easton Community Centre
Featuring: Talk will be followed by a gig at The Plough across the road.
March
Date: Sat March 6, 7pm
Location: Lancaster University, Chaplaincy Centre Lounge
Featuring: A talk from someone who went to Gaza for the peace march in December 2009, Fairtrade tea/coffee and other refreshments and live music to follow in one of the college bars.
Date: Wed March 17
Location: Leeds
Venue: Waterstone’s Bookshop, Map here
Featuring: Drinks and snacks!
Presented by: Leeds Palestine Solidarity Campaign who have posted a writeup of the event here.
Date: Monday 22nd March
Location: Aberdeen University
6pm, New Kings 10. Event details here.
(Sarah Irving only)
Date: Wednesday March 24th
Location: Keele University
Chancellors Building
Room CBA0.061
4-5.30 pm.
(Sharyn Lock, Sarah Irving)
Date: Saturday March 27th
Location: Chorlton Big Green Festival, St Clements Church, Chorlton, Manchester
Book stall 11am –
(Sarah Irving only)
Date: Sat 27, 5pm to 7pm
Location: Nelson, Lancashire
Venue: The Ace Centre.
Presented by: Lancashire Muslim Writers
April
Date: April 16-18
Location: Bangor
Presented by: From Bangor to Bethlehem: International Festival for Palestine
Details: I’ll be on panel discussing “Life in Gaza”, on the Saturday at 1.30pm – and possibly having a reading/chat sort of thing on the Sunday morning.
Date: April 20
Location: London
Event: Comedy, Music and Magic for Palestine: featuring Ivor Dembina, Jeremy Hardy, Ian Saville, and Maureen Younger.
Details: Sarah and Sharyn can’t be there, but copies of Gaza:Beneath the Bombs will be on sale!
Venue: The Dogstar, 398 ColdHarbour Lane
Date: Sun 25th 2-4pm
Location: Leicester
Presented by: Friends of Al Aqsa
101c Gwendolen Road. Time tbc.
(no further availability in April due to other committments, sorry – but Ramzy Baroud is touring with his book My Father Was A Freedom Fighter so you could try him instead!)
May
Date: May 7, 7.30pm
Location: Hebden Bridge
Venue: Hebden Bridge Library
Featuring: Wine and snacks! More details here…
Date: May 12, 8.30am
Location: Manchester
Venue: Whalley Range High School
Featuring: In conjunction with a speaker from the Mobile International Surgical Team about their Gaza work
Date: May 22, 2-4pm
Location: Brighton
Venue: The Cowley Club in the Cafe/Bookshop
Date: May 26, 6.30-9.30pm
Location: London
Venue: Goldsmiths University Student Union
Details: see the poster above, which you can hopefully download, print or email if you like.
Please note: I’m now going to decrease my events for summer while I focus on exams, assignments, and a break, but I will still be continuing them so please contact me if you’d like me to be somewhere.
July
(not available July 9-19 due to other committments)
Date: Thursday July 15, 2.30-4pm
Location: Iona Island
Venue: The Iona Community
Presented by: The Iona Community Shop
August
Date: August 13, 7pm
Details: Radio interview with Sharyn and Sarah
Presented by: Radio Ramadan Edinburgh
Date: August 14, 12.30
Location: Edinburgh
Venue: Edinburgh International Book Festival – Peppers Theatre, Charlotte Square £10/£8. Tickets on sale from 26th June.
Unavailable rest of August
September
Unavailable Sept 3-5
October
Unavailable Oct 1-3, 8-10, 16
Date: Sun Oct 17
Location: Sheffield
Details: Speaking at the Fire Brigades Union School
Date: Sat Oct 23 10-4
Location: London
Venue: Queen Mary’s, University of London, Mile End Road – map here
Presented by: Anarchist Book Fair
Details: I’ll be sharing someone’s stall with my books – see if you can find me.
Date: Sat Oct 30 4pm
Location: Hebden Bridge
Venue: Little Theatre
Presented by: Hebden Bridge Bookshop Literary Festival
November
Date: Sat Nov 6
Location: London
Venue: details t.b.c
Presented by: Campaign Against the Arms Trade National Gathering
Date: Wed Nov 10
Location: Sheffield
Details: Speaking at the Fire Brigades Union School
Date: Thurs Nov 11, 7.30pm
Location: Leeds
Venue: t.b.c. as part of Leeds Film Festival
Presented by: Leeds Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Date: Sat Nov 13 – 7pm doors open
Location: Bristol
Venue: Easton Community Centre
Featuring: “Erased:Wiped off the Map”, film made during the Gaza attacks by Gaza local Mohammed and Alberto from our ISM group
Date: Sat Nov 20
Location: Swansea
‘Ground Truth: Eyewitness Accounts from Palestine/Israel’
Day Venue: Timetable with links and locations here and Facebook page here
Witnesses from Israel, Palestine and the UK bring us some perspectives
on the conflict, its effect and what we can do to support a just peace. Timetable with links and locations here.
Evening Venue: Linden Christian Centre, West Cross, Swansea – £4 donation
entry including a glass of wine/juice
6.30 pm Performance of Palestine Monologues (Ice and Fire)
7.45 pm Ahmed Masoud and Justin Butcher, co-writers and directors of
‘Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea’; talk or Q&A on theatre and Israel/
Palestine.
December
Date: Wed Dec 1, 6.30pm
Location: London
Event: Professor Richard Falk, Special Rapporteur for the UN on the Occupied Territories (who wrote the afterword to my book!) will be giving a lecture, chaired by Michael Mansfield QC. I’ll be having a bookstall there. Registration essential.
Venue: University of London, Senate House, Mallet Street
Presented by: Middle East Monitor
Date: Sat Dec 18 8pm
Location: Manchester
Venue: The Okasional Cafe – it’s back!
Featuring:
7pm – big vegan meal, by donation
8pm – showing of award-winning film Sling Shot Hip Hop
Calendar of Past Events 2009
I hope particularly to inspire people in the UK to be part of the new campaigns to protect farmers, fishermen, and emergency workers, so if you have links with organisations that could actively support and defend these Gaza folks I would like to prioritise them.
It helps if you can provide a venue, promotion in advance, a projector and laptop that definitely work when put together (I’ll bring a USB stick), a floor for me to sleep on, and something towards travel if possible, but I don’t want lack of any of those things to stop me getting to you, so we’ll figure it out together if need be.
CALENDAR
June 9: meeting with Liverpool medics re Gaza solidarity possibilities
June 15: meeting with Omega Research Foundation re Israeli weapons used on Gaza
June 18: meeting with MP Oliver Letwin re Gaza, London (thanks Buckland family)
July 9: speaking at York Palestine Solidarity Campaign‘s AGM
July 12: friend’s baby due, would like to keep a week either side of this fairly clear
July 14: speaking at the GMB Union‘s National Ambulance Committee conference
July 18: speaking at Palestine benefit at Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, Lead band is Fat Rascals with Ed Tranc
July 30: speaking at Friends Meeting House in Norwich for Norwich Stop the War and Norwich PSC
3-15 August: not available
19-24 August: maybe speaking at Earth First! Summer Gathering (up north somewhere), but not confirmed
30 August: Rebel Soul Tent at Shambala Festival, Northamptonshire, 8pm
tales to tell - Gaza 2009 and beyond 
Hi – when will you be in Brisbane?
hey Lisa – don’t know if you got my direct email – aint going to be in Brisbane as I’m avoiding flying (and I’m studying) but friends are going to put something on there… hope you are well!
Hi,
I’m a student at Lancaster University, and we will soon be planning events for One World Week (7th-13th March), which involves many different people and societies across campus, and celebrates the themes of justice and peace. I was wondering if you would be interested in giving a talk on your book at Lancaster University? It would be fascinating to hear about your experiences!
Thanks very much,
Rachel McCarthy.
Hi Rachel, i’d love to. Will email you later today.
Hi Sharyn,
We would love to host you for a talk at the Cowley Club in Brighton, We are an anarchist social centre with strong links to local groups involved with Gaza solidarity. We also have a radical bookshop with about 400 titles. Perhaps you could come talk when you are already down this way? We are grassroots and volunteer-run so we are unable to pay a fee, but we can provide food and accommodation in a local housing co-op.
Hope to hear from you and good luck with the tour!
Cowleybooks
Sure! Will email.
Do you know yet when you are coming to Cambridge? I would love to meet you as a fellow midwifery student!
hey there. Actually my Cambridge contact never got back in touch. Don’t suppose you’d like to set something up?!
I could try. Email me….