Burning Country

In 2011, Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to demand the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad. Today, Syria is still a war zone and a devastated land. Burning Country explores the horrific reality of life in present-day Syria, drawing on first-hand testimonies from opposition fighters, exiles lost in refugee camps, and courageous human rights activists. Robin and Leila will be interviewed by Radio 4 journalist Roger Bolton about the militarisation of the uprising, the rise of Islamism, the role of governments and the resulting unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Leila Al-Shami and Robin Yassin-Kassab both grew up in the UK with Syrian and British parents and live in Scotland. Prior to writing Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, Leila worked for fifteen years as a human rights activist in Syria and the surrounding region. She was a founding member of Tahrir-ICN, a network that aimed to connect anti-authoritaian struggles across The Middle Eastern region. Robin Yassin-Kassab is a novelist and journalist and a frequent commentator on Syria and the Middle East. Much of their first person information comes from communicating with activists.