Alameddine’s new novel, “The Wrong End of the Telescope,” tells what happens when Lebanese doctor Mina Simpson goes to the infamous Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. (Contributed photo)
The Library Journal’s starred review noted, “The great strength of this latest novel from National Book Award finalist Alameddine lies in how it deftly combines the biographical with the historical; the small, more personal moments often carry the most weight. A remarkable, surprisingly intimate tale of human connection in the midst of disaster.”
Alameddine will give a reading from his new book on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the New Dominion Bookshop on the Downtown Mall. He will give a public talk, “Concerning the Politics in Art,” on Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. in Newcomb Hall Ballroom.
The Kapnick Foundation Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Program aims to bring writers of international stature to the Grounds to teach and engage with UVA students and the literary community. It was inspired by William Faulkner’s legendary residencies at the University in 1957 and ’58.
The program debuted in 2014 with the late novelist James Salter as the inaugural Kapnick visiting writer. Brenda Hillman, Ann Beattie and Mark Doty last held the post in recent years, with Hillman conducting her residency virtually last year because of the pandemic.