AUK Library Hosts a Book Review for Dana Aljouder
AUK invited Dana Aljouder, a Kuwaiti author, to give a lecture and discuss her first release, a new novel entitled Evora: The Secret Child. The novel is part of a trilogy about a 16 year old female protagonist, JacÃ, who learns to trust her instincts and become her own hero.
Evora: The Secret Child is the first installment of the trilogy in which the reader is introduced to JacÃ, a teenager who is struggling in a world not her own, and the beginning of her journey on an adventure of self-discovery.
Aljouder co-wrote the book with Nicole Vardi, a Los Angeles based writer and set designer with Brazilian-Portuguese roots. The two met while studying architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where they discovered a shared interest in fantasy, adventure and writing and became instant friends. Aljouder explained that the fact that she and her co-author grew up in different cultures helped them incorporate variations of folklore from different parts of the world into the novel. "Nicole and I grew up with in separate cultures. She comes from a Brazilian-Portuguese background and I come from Kuwait. We have tracked variations of the Brazilian stories her father told her to Portugal, Africa, and Arabia," said Aljouder.
A large group of students attended the talk, along with faculty and staff members. Students asked several questions about Dana's experience as a young author and the difficulties she faced in her journey of writing. The discussion was followed by a book signing where Dana signed copies of her book for students. Dana Aljouder is currently working as an interior designer at Pace in Kuwait. She is also pursuing her passion in writing and performance art.
Nicole Vardi is a Los Angeles based writer and set designer. She has designed for Larry King, The Daily Rehash show, as well another web series and features. She is currently an assistant to Bette Midler.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 22nd October 2015
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2015
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