Eyad Awwadawnan

Eyad Awwadawnan, formerly a law student from Damascus, Syria, is a writer and poet currently living as a refugee in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is the co-author with Helen Benedict of Map of Hope and Sorrow: Stories of Refugees Trapped in Greece. During his four years in Greece, he worked as a cultural mediator, translator and interpreter for various NGOs. He published a featured article in Slate Magazine detailing his escape from Syria, which now makes the Preface of Map of Hope and Sorrow.

Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?

I am always happy to be away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, so my preferred holiday destination would be a remote, rural place where nature is the only thing around me. Maybe the Alps or the Pyrenees, since I enjoy hiking, but in fact the place I think I'd like to visit the most is the African savannah, because whenever I've seen it in pictures, it has brought back childhood memories of spending time in the Syrian steppe, with its tall grasses swaying softly. I'd also love to see face to face some of the biggest and most impressive animals in the world. Maybe one day, I hope.

Is there another profession you would like to try?

When I was a child, I really wanted to grow up to be a pilot, so maybe that could have been my alternative profession. I'm still in awe of the physics and engineering that allow such big machines to glide through the skies, when I think about it.

What brings you great joy?

It may sound cliché, but what brings me the greatest joy is helping other people in any way that I can, with whatever resources I have. I feel very strongly that spending your life reaching out your hand to those who need it is a worthy and honorable life. Putting a smile on another person's face, or even just making the load on their shoulders a little bit lighter, makes me smile too.

Favorite activity other than reading?

I would say swimming, because being surrounded by and carried by the water feels freeing and calming. Unfortunately, I swim like a rock, so it probably wouldn't be a good idea, for now. So, I guess my answer would have to be going for long walks at night because the stillness makes me able to dive into the depths of my thoughts, and I'm free to think and feel whatever I want to.

Writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

I don't particularly like listening to music while I'm writing because I guess I'm just one of those people who find it distracting, so I can't concentrate. However, I do take inspiration from music that I listen to at other times -- listening to music often fills me with memories, sharpens the pain of what has happened and is still happening around me, but also sweetens the moments of beauty and love. I guess you can say that music has a soft power that can push me to open up to myself and to others, and to be honest about my feelings.