HAKAWATI

Osama al-Kharrat returns to Beirut in 2003 to be with his dying father, prompting a family gathering where stories from generations past begin to surface. His grandfather, a hakawati or storyteller, wove tales that are now intertwined with classic Middle Eastern narratives. Through Osama's perspective, readers also witness the lives of contemporary Lebanese people, whose experiences reflect a heartbreaking reality of ongoing conflict, fractured identity, and resilience.