Making Space for Difficult Conversations with Ariel Kahn

Show notes

You can order our book Circle Holding: A Practical Guide to Facilitating Talking Circles on Amazon ([https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circle-Holding-Practical-Facilitating-Talking/dp/1805013157/] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circle-Holding-Practical-Facilitating-Talking/dp/1805013157/))

In our conversation Ariel talked about the Arab Israeli Book Club – here’s a guardian review from when it all started, back in 2010:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/feb/08/radical-reading-israeli-arab-book-club This approach to creating shared cultural conversations across boundaries was inspired by my research for my novel, Raising Sparks. Lebanese novelist Han Al Shaykh named it in a new York Times Interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/books/review/hanan-al-shaykh-by-the-book.html It was shortlisted for the Not the Booker Prize by the Guardian, and received an interestingly critical review here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/sep/05/not-the-booker-raising-sparks-by-ariel-kahn-review-coincidence-unbound Food and food culture are a big part of my bridge building work – there’s an interesting take on this aspect of Raising Sparks from a food blogger here: https://family-friends-food.com/raising-sparks-ariel-kahn/ If you are interested in delving into the background of this novel and the interfaith research involved, there is a wonderful interview by Rina Wolfson, herself a gifted educator who has sadly passed away since this interview, which makes it all the mor precious to me: https://www.thejc.com/life/books/raising-sparks-from-suffolk-to-jerusalem-drpuxl5e Particularly precious to me as an interfaith practitioner is this perceptive review from a Muslim reader: https://www.northernsoul.me.uk/book-review-raising-sparks-by-ariel-kahn/ He also spoke about creating interfaith spaces in a University setting – I am a proud member of the Middlesex Interfaith Network. We received a national award for our work, including the Interfaith literary student led festival I mention in the podcast – see here for more details: https://barnetpost.co.uk/2024/09/16/middlesex-universitys-staff-inter-faith-group-scoops-honours-at-university-alliance-awards-2024/ His work facilitating creative engagement as a way of building circles was inspired and supported by a wonderful charity Exile Writers Ink, with whom I mentored a refugee Iranian writer, and ran cross-cultural dialogue groups – see:https://www.exiledwriters.co.uk/ His work in this area continues to evolve; on addition to being a visiting fellow at Exter College Oxford,https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/people/ariel-kahn/ I’m now an associate artist with the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, and planning an interfaith creative workshop for them later this year. See: https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-ariel-kahn Dr Ariel Kahn, Senior Lecturer, Creative Writing, Senior Fellow HEA Programme Leader, Creative Writing and Journalism Interim Director of Programmes for Theatre, Creative Writing and Journalism Member of Middlesex Interfaith Network (MDX IFN) winner of the University Alliance, Alliance Award 2024 Associate Artist, Woolf Institute, Cambridge University Visiting Fellow 2024-2025, Exter College, Oxford University Twitter@ArielKahn2 Get your free Start Your Circle Guide HERE

Support our podcast. If you love the conversations and would love for us to create a third series you can support our podcast by donating £5, £10 or any other amount: https://www.gofundme.com/f/spread-stories-of-communities-building-circles-of-hope/

To learn more about facilitating circles you can join one of our trainings: https://www.circleholding.org

Circle Holding Fundamentals - introductory 3 hour workshop https://www.circleholding.org/circle-fundamentals

Circle Holding Facilitator Training - 3 month training https://www.circleholding.org/circle-holders-journey

Yoga Nidra & Circle Holding https://www.circleholding.org/yoga-nidra-circle-holding

Circle Holding Self Study Programme https://www.circleholding.org/self-study

Circle Holding Non-Residential Retreat - London https://www.circleholding.org/weekend-retreat

Circle Holding Residential Retreat https://www.circleholding.org/autumn-residential

Free Events and mini trainings - meet Julia & Tessa and get a taste of circle holding https://www.circleholding.org/free-resources

We love to hear from circle facilitators and circle goers so please email us at info@circleholding.org

Music credit: Fabio Venuti

Show notes

New comment